Are You Recycling Properly?
It’s time to help the earth by doing a quick reminder check on your local recycling regulations. When my suburban Chicago garbage man leaves me a note to help share more about recycling, I know there is a lot of confusion out there.
I got this note (above) a few weeks ago from my recycling man — I love my recycling and garbage men and they work super hard to do their job. I was surprised he knew about my blog, so in response to this kind request, I am giving you some general recycling accepted in the list below based on the Waste Management Recycling Tip List for my city, Warrenville, IL. This is a regional list specific to the Chicagoland western suburbs, but the items on it are commonly accepted for most recycling pickup areas in the U.S. (there are exceptions to this list, please check locally to confirm your local rules and regulations).
Remember that not everything can be recycled and all items need to be cleaned or scraped because food items can contaminate a batch of recycling and it will be rejected at the processing plant. I think the biggest issue for me personally is glass. I tend to put all glass in recycling containers, but not all glass can be recycled. The following glass items should not typically be placed into your recycling bin (again – check with your local recycling team):
- Any glass contaminated with stones, dirt, and food waste
- Ceramics, such as dishware, ovenware, and decorative items.
- Heat-resistant glass, such as Pyrex.
- Mixed colors of broken glass.
- Mirror or window glass.
- Metal or plastic caps and lids.
- Crystal.
- Light bulbs.
- Cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) found in some televisions and computer monitors.
Special thanks go to my recycling man for reminding me that we all need a reminder to check the local trash and recycling regulations once in a while. He wants everyone to make a difference and so do I. Happy Recycling!
