Environmental Education - Recycle
Practice the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! It is important to focus on the reduction and reuse of materials before we resort to recycling. For example, it is better to have a reusable water bottle that you fill every day as opposed to buying bottled water and recycling the bottle. When reduction and reuse is not possible, determine whether or not the product in question is recyclable and recycle it if it is! Sometimes it is hard to know what can be recycled and what can’t. Take a look at the table below to see some common items that can and can’t be thrown in the recycling bin.
Recyclable
Glass bottles/jars | Aluminum & Tin cans
Cardboard and Paperboard
Plastics #1-#7 | Magazines/Newspaper
Office paper | Shredded paper
Not Recyclable
Plastic bags* | Ziploc type bags | Styrofoam
*can be recycled at some stores
Food Scraps (compost these!)
Dirty/Greasy Cardboard | Paper Towels
Foil | Wood
Aanji-minwaabajitoon ~ Renew the Good Use of Something ~ Recycle!
Tips for recycling:
- For plastic products, look at the bottom of the container for the number enclosed by the chasing arrows symbol. The types of plastic that can be recycled varies by area so be aware of what numbers can be recycled in the area you live in. In this area, plastics #1- #7 are recyclable. If it does not have a number on the bottom, it is not recyclable.
- Almost all paper is recyclable as long as it is not coated in plastic or other film and not too wet or dirty.
- Styrofoam is not recyclable!
- If you are recycling containers that had food or a beverage in it, be sure to rinse it out before you throw it in the bin.
- Grocery stores usually have stations where you can return plastic bags and they will recycle them for you.