In this article, we’re sharing tips and best practices for recycling items that can’t go in a tiny blue bin. So, you can rest easy knowing you’re doing your part in protecting the planet and reducing waste.

How-to-Guide for the Hardest to Recycle Items

While many items can easily go into regular recycling bins, there are some that can’t. Fortunately, however, there are still ways to reuse and recycle these items. Here are some items that require a different type of recycling, and the ways in which you get rid of them in an environmentally responsible way.

Plastic Shopping Bags

Do you have a drawer of plastic bags from your shopping trips or grocery store visits? Turns out those can’t just be thrown into your recycling bin, which is a mistake many people make.  What you can do, however, is bring them back to your local grocery store. Most grocery stores have a receptacle for used plastic shopping bags you can just drop them in. Unsure if that’s how your grocery store operates? Ask a store to associate the next time you’re there! And if they don’t have one, try to buy reusable bags so you can cut back on taking them—chances are you’ll save on your order total by bringing your own bags.

Batteries

Batteries are another item that can’t just be thrown into the recycling bin. Thankfully, there may be some local businesses and utility offices that are willing to take them off your hand. To find out which ones do, look up the Call to Recycle Program to see what local businesses drop-off locations are. What’s better is that these locations often accept more than rechargeable batteries. They may also accept single-use batteries as well as cell phones.

Plastic Bottle Lids

Believe it or not, you can recycle plastic bottle lids. You simply need to separate the lid from its cap, as the cap can contaminate the plastic bottle during reprocessing. What’s cooler is that some companies are finding innovative ways to upcycle plastic bottle lids. In fact, Green Tree Plastics is actually turning plastic lids into benches and donating them to schools. Similar to plastic bottle lids, juice boxes can also be recycled. You’ll need to remove the plastic straw from the plastic box to successfully do that, however.

Pizza Boxes

Pizza boxes are a trickier item. That’s because they can technically be recycled— but only if done in the right way. If the box is clean, you can easily recycle it, but if it’s covered in pizza grease it’s too contaminated to recycle. So, when recycling pizza boxes, use your best judgment. If it seems too dirty to recycle, it’s best to just discard of it in the trash. And if it ends up being rubbish, check out this website for same-day rubbish removal.

Ready to Recycle?

Recycling is a great way to reduce your environmental impact and make the planet a better place. But it’s not always easy! By following this guide, you’ll know what to do with the hardest to recycle items and do it in the right way. Was the information in this article helpful? Need more tips and best practices? Explore the rest of our website for more information!

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