Solid Waste Annually 460 billion pounds

The Top Five Household Items Your Family Can Recycle Waste is the by-product of almost everything we consume. Considering there are 319 million people in the United States alone, generating approximately 230 million tons (460 billion pounds) of solid waste annually, that’s a lot of garbage. And less than one-quarter of it is recycled. The rest must be incinerated or buried in landfills. So obviously, it’s up to all of us to do our part to keep from being overrun by our own trash. Residential recycling is easy and convenient. There are scheduled curbside pickups and there are a number of sites where you can drop off your recycling materials if you prefer. The types of household items you can recycle differs from city to city, but here are the top five materials that are pretty universally accepted: Paper: Any paper that you print at the office and don’t need anymore can be recycled. So can newspapers, junk mail, magazines, phone books and clean, dry, non-waxed cardboard. Plastics: There is a recycling symbol on the bottom of most plastic containers. Look for a “1” or “2” inside that symbol or something that says the container is recyclable. Any plastic bottle that has a neck or pour spout is also generally recyclable. It’s okay to keep the caps for these products attached. Please be sure to rinse out any residue before recycling. Glass: Almost all glass is recyclable, whether it is clear, green or brown. If your glass items have metal lids or caps, these can also be recycled but please remove them before recycling. Metals: Aluminum (including aluminum foil), steel and tin are recyclable. Again, please rinse out any residue before putting metal containers in your recycling bin. Hazardous Materials: Things like batteries, spray cans, paint and thinners, light bulbs, household cleaners and automotive fluids can all be recycled but need to be dropped at a place specifically for these kinds of materials. Some drop-off sites have special bins for these kinds of materials.