Recycling 101 (An Introduction)

     I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that recycle(s/d).  My mom married my (ex) stepdad when I was only 5 so from 5-12 I was exposed to and taught a lot about recycling.  In that house we recycled:

Cans (soda and beer)

Glass (bottles)

Cardboard (from cereal boxes, etc.)

Mixed paper (letters, mail, etc.)

Plastic (milk jugs, soda bottles, etc.)

Magazines and Newspapers

     My stepdad made this neat spot in our pantry where it all went.  We had 6 LARGE tupperware bins placed on a homemade shelf and we just stuck the appropriate product in the correct bin.  Easy!  Although they divorced, his habits rolled over and my mom, my sister, and myself still practice recycling.  I'm super glad about that!
     As silly as it may sound, I also remember Nickelodeon having a large impact on my views towards recycling, water conservation, and animal care.  Back in the 1990s I remember a lot of television, books, and discussions regarding being earth conscious and "green" (although I don't remember it being such a movement until the mid 2000s).  I'm so glad for this!
     Both of these things have had a huge impact on my daily living and practices.  I am glad that I have also rubbed off on Derrick and that he is fine with these practices as well because frankly, I don't want to budge on it.

If you're a newbie to recycling, may I suggest a few things first?

1) Get to know your products (part I).  Know: what you buy, what it comes in, and how it impacts your daily living and (more importantly) the earth.

2) Take note (for about a month) of how often you're throwing "trash" away and what you're actually throwing out...you'd be ASTOUNDED to see how very wasteful we are (as a nation and as individuals)!

3) Look for your local recycle centers/pickups for your town.  Recycling has become a lot less stressful with the green movements that really came about in the 2000s.  There is curbside pickup (just like your trash), centers for drop off, and some centers for cash exchange (namely cans and metals).

4) Understand where to recycle what (part II) and why it's important.

5) Once you're feeling comfortable...EDUCATE! Teach your friends, family, children, co-workers basic recycling practices that can really make a huge impact.

     This means that in working towards my yearly goal of going green(er) and continuing and expanding the patterns we've developed in our habits, I will be setting up our own little recycle depot in our hall closet.  I'm super excited about it!  I've got to relearn some of my products and disposal practices and teach Derrick about them but I think it's totally worth it.  So check back for part I where I will be discussing what products are and are not right for recycling.  In part II, I'll be discussing what should be recycled where and the actual impact recycling has on your home, your community, and your world!  Part III will be how to upcycle-recycling things in your home to become newer/different things without having to take them to a center, look at labels, etc.

Are you ready to greenify your living practices?!  Because I promise:  once you get in the habit of recycling it becomes easy-peasy and you'll really notice a difference!