I want to put out less trash each week, and more recyclables .. but WHAT can I recycle?

Question

I just need to get some trash cans for it - the city only provides you with a 5 gallon bucket, which is all I ever see on the streets on recycle day.

What I mean is, can I recycle the box from a pizza, ketchup bottles, all that miscellaneous stuff that I grew up throwing in the trash.

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Oh, my city is Phildelphia, PA - if that means anything.

Answer 1

Philadelphia residents can recycle mixed paper and commingled materials.

Mixed paper includes:

Newspapers including inserts
Junk mail
Envelopes with or without windows
Telephone books
Magazines
Catalogs
Cereal type boxes - like cookie, cracker, cake mix without liners and gift boxes
Home office paper
Stationery and other clean paper
Place mixed paper beside your recycling bin in a paper bag or tied with a string.

Commingled materials include:

Metal cans
Aluminum cans
Empty aerosol cans without caps
Empty paint cans air dried
Paint can lids separated from the paint cans
Glass bottles and jars
Place these items in your city recycling bucket or bin.

The City does not collect Plastic items, but provides plastic drop-off sites through the Philadelphia Partnership Recycling Program. We also provide a drop off for household hazardous waste products.

Recycling locations for other materials may be found here:

Automotive Products Recycling Locations
Buy Recycled Program
Construction Materials / Land Clearing Debris

Answer 2

Where I live in California we have recycle bins but there is also recycle centers like Reynolds Aluminum and they take bottles: clear & colored; soda cans; aluminum foil; pie pans; plastic soda bottles; and many other plastic containers that carry the triangle. At this place they pay us cash for what we bring them...you can make about $20 bucks a week...
hey a few years ago there was a guy in the papers in New York City whose picture showed him with three huge carts with massive amounts of cans...he was making $180,000 a year... so look around for a recycling plant and make some money as well...after all you pay a deposit for all the soda cans and bottles...check you register receipt adn you'll see...

Answer 3

There should be a recycle bin available just for glass, and a separate one for plastic bottles. The ketchup bottles and all the other plastic bottles can go together, and likewise for the glass. You might have to do a little bit of work on your part to recycle some of those other things like pizza boxes, etc. But I do believe you can.

Thanks for being an environmentally friendly person.

Answer 4

I'm not really sure what Philadelphia's personal recycling laws are, but I live in Colorado. You can actually throw away the ketchup bottle itself, or any other plastic bottle of any sort. But your supposed to take the cap off and the paper lining on the outside. Usually any box can also be thrown away, as long as it is broken down. (and the plastic bag taken out if the box is a cereal box.) You can also recycle cans from any canned goods. Your just supposed to rinse them clean and take off the paper on the outside. Hope this helps. =)

Answer 5

Check with your waste management provider for you area they should be able to give you a list of things they will recycle. Usually at the very least they take:

Cans
Glass Bottles
Plastic Bottles labled #1 and #2 (look for the recycle symbol with a number in it)

Some areas will also take:
Newspaper
Cardboard
Paperboard
Other Plastics

Answer 6

Each city has their own recycling rules, As far as I know you can recycle all plastic bottles with the recycling triangle located on the bottom. They should be rinsed to be free of food. All glass food containers, jars and bottles but not Pyrex or other glass cooking dishes. All metal food cans including pop or soda cans are recyclable. All corrugated card board and newspaper as well as cereal boxes and the like are recycle able also.
We used to separate all three for our recyclers, then they told us to leave it all together. You have to speak to your rubbish pick up people to see how it is preferred in your area. They really appreciate hearing from their customers and like to know you care enough to do it right.

Answer 7

You can recycle almost anything. It will have a small triangle on the bottom of it if it is recycleable. You just have to rinse them out well. Glass jars, milk jugs, ketchup bottles also. I use the Simply Orange juice bottles myself to keep water in the car and truck to add to the radiator as needed.As far as the pizza boxes go, you can use them in a flower bed... just put them flat on top of the dirt that you just dug weeds out of and add more clean fresh dirt and then your plants. This will keep weeds out and give you more time to just enjoy the flowers. I keep small plastic bags (exam from Walmart) to use to line my garbage cans in the bathrooms and bedrooms (anywhere you have a small garbage can) All soda cans usually can be turned into the aluminum recycle place for cash. I save my small baggies (wash or rinse them) to apply things like silver polish, shoe polish, dog medicine on wounds... just use your imagination. If you have baby food containers... many people use them for holding buttons and the like. Also if you go to freecycle.com and click on find my area, you can recycle things not only glass plastic and paper but items like beds and clothing and household good, vacuums for free that people want to get rid of but are too good to throw away. Someone else gets good use from it and it doesn't fill the landfills up with good items that are just no longer needed. Also there is cheapcycle.com These are wonderful sites and you get to meet people in your city and surrounding areas as well. Check it out and good luck.

Answer 8

Anything that is not biodegradable you can recycle.
On each of the examples you gave, you will see a tiny recycle symbol on the bottom or side of each.
When said symbol is viewed, it is a blaring sign that the item in question is definitely recyclable.
I'm sure you can go to any recycling facility and ask for a container to store your recyclable items in.
If they try to charge you for it, throw a fit.
They should be promoting the actions of a willing recycler at no charge.
If they still are unable to comply, I would advise you take the issue straight to the supreme court.

Answer 9

you can recycle glass plastic paper and alumium anything
call your trash company and ask for the number to your local recycling company, look in the phone book under recycle , or if your neighbors recycle ask them or get the number off of their recycle bins!
ex. the ketchup bottle would go in plastic w/ the aluminum ( soda cans) where i live you get to recycle bins and it doesn't matter what you put in what color just make sure that the aluminum and plastic are together and the paper and glass in the other but just to make sure call you local recycling company
Good luck and thanks for recycling! ")

Answer 10

TRASH in general

first remove all organics and make a compost heap
bones,treetrunks,cardboard,eggshells,old clothes(if they are organic),poop,LEAVES,kitchen waste,foodscraps,newspaper,
your mother inlaw and kitty litter
and even the dead cat,dead pet fish

All can be put on the compost heap

as long as you seal it with a covering of leaves .or put a piece of plastic on top ,
keep it moist and in the shade ,it will then get hot enough to kill all parasites

the worms will devellop,and take care of everything ,the moisture helps decomposition

the plastic keeps in the moisture and protects the worms from predators .like chickens ,birds armadillos,and even dogs .i have seen going in to eat my worm culture

you could add a bit of lime now and again
to make the process more potent

HOW
make the compost in a shallow hole ,so that it retains more humidity,
about 2 square meters is good ,and have it under a tree or put a little roof over i t,which does not have to be water proof ,so a palm thatch is enough,

and makesure the garden sprinkler gets there or spray some water on it ,at least once a week,dont have it water logged or the worms will drown or leave

there are compost bins that can be used in an apartment

Organic waste is responsible for 70% of contamination in Land fills if it goes out with the trash ,so please do not do this

RECYCLING

Plastics ,but sort them in to colors and white or transparent

Cardboard is also acceptable for recycling,and news papers ,
there are special places that recycle office papers

so is glass if you classify it in colors,

and
aluminium cans

BURNING

Burning is the the worst you can do

trash includes plastics ,and worst of all styrofoam ,
the smoke from this is pure poison for the air one of the greatest factors towards airpolution like burning tires
please dont burn trash

and leaves are the trees way of making top soil
one should never burn leaves but place them around trees to add to their food