We Can Recycle Almost Anything

Kristan Dael

 

I’ve never been a purist about, well, anything, but I do have a thing about seeking alternatives to adding to landfills. While curbside recycling is great, not all items are accepted.* For items I use routinely that aren’t — like toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss — I look for solutions. Same for packing materials from items received via shipping, including Styrofoam.

 

Happily, these days there are numerous recycling programs, including many that are free. Recently while researching options, I happened upon Terracyle.com. This company features a variety of free recycling programs for everything from dental products to aerosol cans, vision care, and even coffee bags and pods.

 

At last look, the page featured 125 programs, many sponsored by brand names, including, to name a very few: Arm & Hammer,  Bausch & Lomb, Black & Decker, Brita, and Burt’s Bees.

Ridwell is another option. While not available in all areas, it is growing. This subscription (cancel anytime) program recycles all manner of food wrappers (even foil-lined chip bags), clamshells, Rx bottles, lightbulbs, batteries, and yes (for an added fee), Styrofoam.

 

Creating recycling habits is easy, and better to start small than not at all. When you think about it, it’s among the greatest gifts we can offer future generations.

 

*Note: It’s important to know what is not accepted curbside. Chatting recently with a neighbor, she mentioned an item she tossed in the “curby” that I was aware is not accepted. What’s the big deal? Unaccepted items are excluded because they can jam or damage equipment. The cost of this ultimately ends up on everyone’s bill.