Recycling Made Less Painful

Equip yourself with two crates of the type similar to milk crates.

One crate will go in your office area. It is for FLAT recyclable paper and light cardboard containers. NO MORE CRUMPLING!

The other crate will go in a kitchen cabinet, or hallway, or garage, or closet. It is for rinsed recyclable plastic containers.

A lightweight plastic bag will go in this container or will hang nearby. Rinsed glass jars will go in this bag.

Another plastic bag will be nearby for tin cans with the ends removed.

Another bag will be used to periodically gather magazines. After magazines are gathered, the bag will go into the primary recycling bin.

Your primary recycling bin will be kept in the garage, or back porch, or shed. Broken down corrugated cardboard boxes will be placed in this tub during the week. When it is time to set your recyclables out at curbside or to take them to the Transfer Station, you take the largest carton, fold in two, then use it as an envelope to neatly and easily hold the rest of the cardboard.

The only container that you will need to empty every time is the plastic. You will take the crate to where your primary bin is, hold the corrugated cardboard to one side, and dump the plastic in. You will then take the glass or can bags if either has enough to go this time and drop them in on top of the plastic.

The mixed paper crate goes only if it is nearly full.

Upon arrival at the Transfer Station, your recyclables will be all sorted so that you can quickly take them to the correct repository 2-3 categories at a time.

Most households will need to go only every other week when using this method!