Smart Recycling Ideas for an Eco-Friendly Home

Going green is nothing new. Millions of people routinely recycle their household waste in a bid to cut down the amount of trash that ends up in landfill sites. Governments are mostly onboard with recycling, and community waste sorting centres are common in urban areas. However, whilst recycling cardboard and plastic is important, there is a lot more you can do to help the planet. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Have a Major Clear Out

Start as you mean to go on with a major clear out at home. If you look around, there are probably dozens of items you don’t need. Instead of throwing them into cupboards to gather dust, sort out things you don’t want and dispose of them the “green” way. 

Unwanted e-waste, i.e. old computers, peripherals, cell phones, etc., can be recycled, sold, donated to charities. Just because you don’t want your ancient Windows PC, it doesn’t mean somebody else might not be able to make use of it.

The one thing you should never do with old electrical equipment is to throw it in the regular garbage, as it might end up in a landfill site. If you must throw it away, at least rent disposal bins Toronto, so your waste is responsibly sorted and recycled where appropriate.

Plastic, Paper, Cans, and Glass

Make life easy and store recycling bins next to the house – or even in the kitchen if you have enough space. The easier you make it, the more your family will use the bins. Once bins are full, take them to your nearest recycling centre or wait for them to be collected by the neighbourhood refuse collection service.

Food Waste

Don’t throw food waste into the garbage. Food waste can be composted and reused in the garden. Keep a small plastic bin with a lid in the kitchen and use it for your vegetable peelings, eggs shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, etc. Once the bin is full, empty it on a compost heap in the garden. Layer your compost heap with food waste, garden cuttings, grass, straw, and newspaper. Once it is well rotted, you can use it for cultivating seedlings and plants. It’s a lot cheaper than buying compost from your local Home Depot!

Old Clothing

Old clothing can be recycled once you’re bored of wearing it. Take anything you don’t want to a local charity store or sell it online. Blankets, sheets, underwear, and other textiles that are worn out are still recyclable, so don’t throw them in the garbage dumpster. Instead, pass them to an organisation that turns them into cleaning clothes, chair padding, and other new items.

Grey Water

You can re-use grey water, i.e. waste washing-up or bath water in the garden. Attach a water butt to your waste water downpipe and siphon it off when you need to water the plants. It’s much better for the environment and soapy water helps to repel leaf munching garden pests.

Recycling needn’t be a chore if you approach it with the right mindset, so get cracking today and see how much you can recycle or reuse!

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