Recycling: Do It Right
The recycling rate in the U.S. is 32%
by Emily Webb
Likely, you’ve heard of the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. Most people are recycling on some level, but how much do you really know about it? What are the things you should be recycling on a daily basis? What do you do with items your weekly recycling pick up can’t handle? We spoke to Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe, the Executive Director of Live Thrive’s Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM), for answers to these and other important recycling questions.
Remember the Fab Five. Recycling doesn’t have to be hard, and an easy way to implement it in your home is by paying attention to specific items. “Whether you live in a multi-family home, work in an office or are at school, there are five materials that always have value if you recycle them: plastics #1 and #2, aluminum, metal, paper and cardboard,” Ratcliffe said. “If they are recycled clean, dry and loose, they are valuable commodities.” To recycle, gather items in a bag and dump them into the bin loose — bags are often not recyclable. In order to avoid contamination, recycle items that are clean and dry. Many communities accept commingled recycling, and often you do not have to remove caps or labels, as machines can do that during the separation process. Contamination can render some materials unfit for recycling, such as food residue on paper products, so clean products before dumping them.
Plastics #1 and #2, Aluminum, Metal, Paper and Cardboard 24 Atlanta Parent
April 2023
Ratcliffe recommends an easy step to jumpstart recycling: “Plastic bags, plastic grocery bags, stretchy bags, fruit and vegetable bags or plastic film can be brought to CHaRM, but most grocery stores have locations at their entrance to deposit plastic items. We’ve all forgotten to bring a reusable bag at the grocery store, but the next time you go back, take it with you, so it can be recycled.”
It’s not a Fab Five item, now what? The garage and storage spaces in your house don’t have to be filled to the brim with items you don’t think you can recycle and aren’t sure what to do with. Beyond the Fab Five, CHaRM accepts hard-to-recycle items, including Styrofoam, musical instruments, bikes and bike parts, electronics, shredded paper, paint, chemicals, mattresses, compost, cooking oil, tires, textiles, appliances, metal, books and cigarette butts. Ratcliffe also recommends digital resources like Earth 911, where you can put in what you want to recycle and your zip code, and it will give you the closest location to take that item. “Things have come a long way,” she said. “There are a lot of people and manufacturers who are really trying to find ways to recycle; if we’re going to have it, let’s find another use for it. We can commit to reusable materials that are sustainable and recapture that into something other than landfilling.”
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