Is it possible to recycle all your household waste?

Question

We recycle as much as possible, but there are still things that have to go in the regular rubbish. Is it possible to recycle/reuse 100% of household waste? if not approx how much can be recycled.

Answer 1

almost everything can be recycled. I don't think that 100% of household waste is recyclable. Things like yogurt pots at the moment our local council will not take in the recycling. However I recycle as much as possible all glass, paper, cardboard, and most plastic bottles get recycled. Any food waste goes in the compost bin. So I like to think that I do as much as possible

Answer 2

You first need to require all products you buy to be able to be say +95% recyclable. To get this to work well you need to require that the place that sold you the item to take it and all packing back to be recycled. They brought it to you and they should be required to provide a way to recycle it. They would then only sell items that have the least impact. The truck that brought the item to your store goes back empty. They could collect it at the warehouse and have large quantities of the same type to recycle. Things that are over-packed in over-sized boxes would be a thing of the past.

Answer 3

That would depend on what your household waste is.
One person mentioned that could not recycle their yogurt containers. So I say change your shopping habit if that makes a difference to you. My wife and I make our own yogurt.
Remember, if you consume little, there is little that needs to be reused (or recycled, if you have to do that).
For the average American, yes, it is impossible. But for many it is possible. If depends on what you purchase, and how creative you are.

Answer 4

It is possible, IF you reduce your consumption to those things that can be recycled.

Local recycling programs generally cover most of the types of materials you would be able to recycle (common plastics, metals, paper). A compost pile would allow you to recycle food waste and re-use it by turning into mulch and fertilizer. Recycling through city department programs or specialty grocery stores (Wild Oats, New Seasons, Whole Foods) will allow you to recycle a wider variety of bags, plastic types, Styrofoam, and so on.

Items, such as appliances, clothes, electronics, and so on can be donated or traded/sold on sites such as Craig's List and Freecycle.

The key is to identify what cannot be recycled and vastly reduce your purchase of these items. Items such as common microwavable meals (with waxed cardboard, plastic windows, and so on) would be hard to recycle.

In addition, you could also consider your overall home, taking efforts to capture storm water runoff, install a septic tank, and purchase carbon offsets to minimize emitted carbon pollution.

Answer 5

Certain items are not practical to recycle. Styrofoam containers for example take more energy to recycle than to make and it uses more resources to recycle them. So it's best not to use Styrofoam in the first place.

I'd say that about 90% of all household garbage is recyclable.

Answer 6

Seeing as most plastics cannot be recycled it is unlikely every household will be able to produce 0% of landfill waste.
As for recycle I think EVERYBODY can recycle but some families think it is a waste of time.
I think if your rubbish/wheelie bin is overflowing onto the pavement then that household should be made to pay a fine, however if the recycle bin is overflowing they should be praised/rewarded for their efforts.

Answer 7

Recycling all of your household waste is almost possible. Use only reusable cloth bags when grocery shopping, recycle paper plastic and glass, make a compost for all of your fruits veggies coffee grounds etc. donate your clothes and shoes to people who need them, recycle old appliances when you get new ones. buy recycled paper products...it's possible but like dieting it only works if you change your whole lifestyle...good luck to you and thank you for helping make the world a better place for my children and yours.

Answer 8

most of the considerable factors have been made, yet i presumed it may desire to be good to remind ourselves that nature certainly recycles each and every little thing. to this point as remember is in contact, Earth is virtually a closed equipment. The transformations we are making at the instant are not something yet shifts interior the feedback cycles that make the planet the suited recycler. a number of those transformations are sufficiently enormous to threaten those cycles and a great deal cut back the (short term) capacity for existence in the international. And the fast term recycling capacity is what keeps us alive. the long term recycling capacity (which we are in all risk no longer threatening) is what is going to enable the subsequent ones to return after us to discover our fossils and positioned them on reflects as best examples of the final mass extinction... enable's desire it won't come to that.

Answer 9

I think it's just going to depend on what you purchase (i.e. what is going into your waste bin). If you are consciously buying products that you know won't go into the bin, you can avoid putting things in there. Things such as using cloth napkins eliminates paper napkins which go in the bin and aren't usually able to be recycled. It just takes a conscious effort to think about what you're buying, using, and recycling/disposing of.

Answer 10

What ever you do do not burn it that is the worst .

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

remove all ORGANIC WASTE AND MAKE COMPOST
a general note on compost

Bones,treetrunks,cardboard,egg... clothes(if they are organic),poop,leaves,kitchen waste,foodscraps,newspaper,
your mother inlaw and kitty litter
and even the dead cat

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,

Make sure 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

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

LEAVES
leaves are the trees way of making top soil
one should never burn leaves but place them around trees to add to their food
or use them to make compost

RECYCLING
Cardboard is also acceptable for recycling

So is glass if you classify it in colors,and
aluminium cans