The city I live in is set to start a single-stream recycling pick-up for multi-family housing units around town. On February 1, apartment and duplex residents will be able to drop their recycling off downstairs instead of having to drive it across town.

We got our bins a few days early, so I was running back and forth dropping off loads of recyclables that I had hoarded in my kitchen and car. Then, a funny thing happened.

People coming and going from their apartments stopped to ask me about the bins stopped to ask me questions. Some of the people were simply unaware of the city’s new program and were wondering why bins had suddenly appeared. Many of the people, however, were asking about how to recycle.

“What do they mean by ‘single stream’ recycling?”

“I have a ton of pizza boxes I need to bring.”

“Can I put this Starbucks cup in?”

I realized this may be the first opportunity some people had to recycle their household waste. As more communities begin to add recycling services, more people are left with questions on what can and cannot be tossed in recycling bins.

Unfortunately, different facilities process different materials. Some places don’t have the means to recycle e-waste or  certain types of plastic. One facility may have a sorting system to allow for single-stream recycling, while others require you to sort your stuff into separate bins. To know how to recycle properly, residents should check in to the facilities they use.

Avoiding Contamination

Contamination occurs in the recycling process when waste that cannot be processed for recycling gets mixed up in the recyclables. It slows down the recycling process and makes recycling more costly. Sometimes, contamination can ruin other recyclables that could otherwise be processed.  Because different facilities accept different materials, contaminants vary from place to place. One common contaminant is food. Food-soiled waste is not acceptable for processing in most facilities.

Some common sources of contamination include

• Pizza boxes (too greasy)
• Fast food beverage cups
• Dirty food or drink containers (rinse ‘em!)
• Broken glass
• Weird plastics

To see what’s accepted locally, go to Earth911.com and type in your zip code. You can see what kinds of materials can be recycled nearby.

Sorting properly

If you are fortunate enough to be provided with single-stream recycling services, you don’t have to worry about sorting your recycling. Just remove contaminants and drop off. Everything will be sorted out at the facility.

Everybody else has an extra step, but it’s really not a big deal. Check with your local recycling provider to see how they prefer your recyclables to be sorted.

Some places simply require you to separate different material into bins for paper, cardboard, glass and metal. Sometimes the categories are divided further, separating mixed paper from newspaper or grouping glass by color. Plastics may be sorted by number, and some facilities may only accept plastic bottles.  Metals can be separated by type.

Happy recycling!

Recycling give me the warm fuzzies because it’s the right thing to do for our planet. If you have a facility nearby that pays for materials, recycling might give you a supplemental income. Either way, recycling isn’t too difficult to figure out, but you have to get started first.

Sometimes the simplest things can have a huge positive impact on the environment and your wallet. Saving water, energy and materials will cost you less money while benefiting the world around you.

Check out these simple ways to go green and save.

ENERGY

• Turn off and unplug appliances when not in use. For areas with lots of plugs, buy a power strip and turn the strip off when you leave the room.
• Turn out the lights when you leave the room (duh).
• Cut cooling costs by not running the A/C full blast. Set the air to a more reasonable setting and supplement it with a fan.
• In winter, reverse your ceiling fans. It will keep the room warmer so you won’t be tempted to crank up the heat.
• Wash your laundry in cold water. Most of the energy used in laundry is for heating the water!
• Switch your light bulbs. Compact florescent light bulbs (CFL bulbs) save 70% more energy than traditional incandescent ones. CFL bulbs are especially great because they last so long, so you definitely get your money’s worth.

WATER:

• Look into using the dishwasher instead of hand-washing. Modern dishwashers use less water and energy.
• No dishwasher? Instead of running the water to rinse dishes, fill one sink with wash water and one with rinse water.
• Fix leaky faucets. They are annoying and a huge waste!
• Turn off the water as you wash, shave and brush your teeth.
• Reuse your towels.
• Only wash full loads of laundry or dishes.

MATERIALS:

• Avoid bottled water. Try using filtered water to cut back on plastic bottles. Reuse and recycle any bottles you have.
• Buy in bulk to cut back on packaging and costs.
• Try using cloth napkins instead of paper.
• Ditto for paper towels. Invest in a few dishrags to do your dirty work.
• Bring your own mug. Many places will give you cheaper coffee, and you won’t have to use those pesky Styrofoam cups.

Any no-brainers I left out? How do you save money by going green?