I am still in the mode of Earth Day, and after seeing this segment on the Today Show, I thought I’d share with you a little about another clutter corner in my home, my recycling pile. My recycling journey started after my first business trip to Portland, Oregon. I was amazed when my co-worker place my foil yogurt container top in one recycle bin, the plastic container in another, and my water bottle in yet another bin. Back in Washington, D.C., where I lived at the time, we thought recycling and trash got hauled away in two separate trucks only to be consolidated at the landfill.  Since that eye-opening incident, I have been more conscious about what and how I recycle.

Currently, I have a recycling mess in one high-up corner of my kitchen until Tuesday when it goes out on the curb. This situation comes about when you have two small sets of “I-want-to-touch-everything” fingers that can’t keep themselves out of the recycling bins. With the cheat list below, maybe I’ll be able to get a handle on this clutter corner! I’ll keep you posted!

As you are setting up your organized recycling center remember different localities have different recycling capacities, so check with your local municipality (or check www.earth911.com) to find out how many bins you should set up in your kitchen! (I think that home in Portland had 9 bins.) The little cheat list below outlines what you can and cannot recycle. Happy recycling!

Paper:
YES
Cardboard
Newsprint
Office Paper
Envelopes (even w/the plastic window)
Junk Mail
Glossy Magazines
NO
Food-stained
Plastic-coated
Brightly colored paper

Metal:
YES
Soda Cans
Juice Cans
Soup Cans
Aluminum Pie Tins
Bottle Caps
Wire Coat Hangers
Empty (non-punctured) Aerosol Cans
NO
Batteries
Electronics

Plastic:
YES:
Rule of Thumb: If it’s a bottle that has a neck that’s smaller than the body and has “alor2″ symbol on the bottom, nearly every program will accept it. (Remove caps first, they are made of a different type of plastic, and bring them to Aveda stores to recycle them. Visit www.aveda.com/caps to find out more.)
NO:
Items with #5 type Plastic

Glass:
YES:
Most bottles and jars are recyclable, just check which colors of glass your program will accept.
NO:
Treated Glass – broken plates, incandescent light bulbs, window glass

Source: The Today Show and Good Housekeeping