With Earth Day right around the corner, it’s crucial to treasure our planet by taking care of the trash. Here are some important facts and tips for your recycling revolution.

 

 

On average, each one of us produces 4.4 pounds of solid waste each day. This is the food we eat and what we don’t finish, the can of soda we used to wash it down with, and not to mention all the bags (grocery) and tags (receipts) we accumulate throughout the day. This adds up to almost a ton of trash per person, per year. Yet instead of calculating how much waste we leave behind, let’s focus on how much we can un-waste by recycling.

Not many people know what can be recycled. Cardboard, aluminum cans and glass bottles, of course, but what about ink cartridges, paint, cell phones and old appliances? Yes, all these items can be recycled, cutting down our amount of waste in the long run. In fact, according to www.recyclingfacts.org, all of these items should be recycled:

• Acid batteries
• Aluminum cans
• Building materials
• Cardboard
• Chemicals
• Electronic equipment
• Glass (particularly bottles and jars)
• Lead
• Magazines
• Metal
• Newspaper
• Oil
• Paint
• Paper
• Plastic Bags
• Plastic bottles
• Steel cans
• Tires
• White goods (appliances)
• Wood
• Writing/copy Paper
• Yard waste

 

It’s important for us to utilize our resources for recycling, for some places will even pay for your recyclables.

Let’s face it: We’re not going to jump at the opportunity to drop off our bulky, old refrigerator or tires—but if there were places that could pick up these items, all the better. Salt River Project power and water will pick up your old refrigerator and other appliances, and give you $30 until April 30. There are also a number of recycling centers around the Valley that accept old tires, car batteries and electronics besides the typical bottles and cans.

One helpful tip to get you well on your way to more recycling is to add a couple more recycling bins in your home or office. This way, you are able to separate more recyclables like old magazines, newspapers, wine bottles and plastic milk jugs.

For more information, please visit

www.recyclingfacts.org; www.recyclingcenters.org; and www.srpnet.com.