NO SWEAT NECESSARY FOR SUMMER RECYCLING SUCCESS

No Sweat Necessary for Summer Recycling Success

Fall may be right around the corner but it’s still very much summer time!  The sun is beating down, vacations are approaching and kids are running wild with their abundance of new founded free time.  With all this excitement, it’s easy to forget the good recycling skills you’ve been practicing all year.  It’s great to use summer to loosen up and to relax on your everyday stresses but let’s not slack on recycling.  Instead, this is the perfect time to up our game!  Here are some no sweat tips to keep your recycling habits from taking a vacation.

It’s hot.  And we’re being slammed with the research indicating how bad long-term sun exposure is for our health.  Therefore, most of our homes could duplicate for a sunscreen market.  While our tans may suffer, our recycling containers have the ability to thrive.  Check out the bottom of your sunscreen bottle for a recycling number or symbol and toss those containers into your blue bin. 

Headed out of town?  Go reusable!  Pack snacks and meals in nondisposable containers.  Use shopping bags for dirty clothes and for collecting recyclables during your journey.  Rather than purchasing travel sized toiletries, use reusable containers for your shampoo, conditioner, body wash and other necessities.  At the beach, refrain from buying new toys and use those old buckets and other inventive household items that would be awesome for wreaking havoc on the sand.

Staying home?  You may not be jet setting to a new location but we’re sure you have BBQs, pool parties and other festivities on the agenda.  Make sure to have clearly labeled recycling containers settled next to your trash bins to make recycling convenient for your guests.  Reusable dinnerware will make an extra environmentally friendly celebration, not to mention a more cost effective one.  If you’re summer entertainment involves investing in a new grill, be sure to recycle your old one.  Public drop off centers, such as TotalRecycle located in Berks County, Pennsylvania, will happily take it off your hands.  Just be sure to remove the propane first.  And think about replacing it with a gas or electric grill rather than a wood or charcoal one to really show your green spirit!

Even with all these parties and activities, we’re sure these words sound familiar, “I’m bored….”  As baffling as it may be, kids are constantly complaining over their lack of foreseeable entertainment. If you can’t convince them to partake in the activities that keep boredom far from your sights- vacuuming, emptying the dishwasher, paying bills, etc. - have them turn recycling into summertime fun.  Empty cans can be decorated to make pencil holders or old fashioned telephones.  Tree houses and forts can be developed from recycled materials like cardboard and wood scraps.  On a rainy day, have them clean out their closets and look to donate what they insist are no longer their style. 

Cleaning out the closet works for all of us!   We know it can sometimes be difficult to find takers for our undesired clothing items so the easy answer is tossing them in with the garbage.  But there are other options!  We know about the numerous stores where you can attempt to resell your items or you can use your creativity to turn last year’s shirt into this year’s skirt.  But for those of us with limited time and even more limited sewing skills, there are now Yellow Bins popping up all over the country just for unwanted clothing and shoes.  Organized by the nonprofit organization, Planet Aid, this is a great alternative to getting rid of clothing articles that you otherwise can’t find a new home for.  This keeps them out of our landfills further protecting our environment. 

But don’t spend too much time in your closet.  Summer is the ideal opportunity to bring out your social butterfly and encourage good recycling habits with your inner circle.  For example, got a great read?  Instead of buying new books to satisfy you summer indulgence, organize a book exchange with friends and neighbors.