Blog & Resources

1. Educate Yourself on Accepted Materials

Before you start separating your organic waste, familiarize yourself with the types of materials accepted by your program. Common organic waste does include most food items, but some programs may also include other organic materials as well. This varies from program to program, so make sure to look up items like yard waste, leaves, compostable plastics, and other biodegradable products such as paper towels. These items may or may not be allowed in your organics collection program. Knowing what your program accepts is the best way to help it thrive.

2. Invest in Suitable Containers

Invest in durable and appropriately sized containers for collecting organic waste in your home. Some municipalities may provide these items, while others will have a list of acceptable bags and containers. Consider using sealable bins or compost pails with tight-fitting lids to prevent odors and minimize the risk of attracting pests. Check with your program to see if they require organics collection to be loose or in bags. It is important to note that not all compostable or biodegradable bags on the market are suitable for organic waste collection, so it is best to see what your program recommends.

3. Establish a Convenient Collection System

Designate a convenient location in your kitchen or backyard for storing organic waste containers. Consider placing your organic waste bins near your food preparation area for easy access while cooking. Convenience is key to building the habit of proper organic waste disposal.  

Tip: If you have space in your freezer, consider keeping your compost in there until waste collection day. This will minimize the smell and make cleanup easier.  

If your program also accepts any outdoor organic waste, such as leaves, grass clippings, or weeds, keep an outdoor bin as well. Not all programs combine these two, so make sure to check how your program handles yard waste.  

4. Practice Proper Waste Separation

To maximize the effectiveness of organic waste collection, practice proper waste separation throughout your household. Encourage family members to separate organic waste from recyclables and other non-organic waste. Label containers or bins clearly to avoid confusion and ensure successful adherence to local collection guidelines.  

If you have multiple people residing in the same household, you may even want to post a note for each bin on what goes where based on the materials your home typically uses. Posting picture guides for kids can help them learn correct sorting easily.  

5. Make it a Habit

Getting used to organic waste collection can take a bit of practice, but if you try to establish a routine, you'll be able to hit the ground running. Setting up a process in your household can help establish good habits. You could do this by establishing specific days or times that the indoor bin gets emptied to avoid bad smells. You could also establish a routine while cooking by keeping a plate next to your cutting board to gather up scraps for the bin. Building habits to your existing routines can help boost the amount of organic waste collected.

Embrace Sustainable Waste Management Practices

Participating in organic waste collection is a proactive step towards sustainable living and environmental stewardship. By adopting these practical tips and integrating organic waste collection into your daily routine, you can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving natural resources, and promoting soil health in your community.

Since you're a recycling pro, you probably already know that your local program doesn't accept plastic bags in curbside collection. And you may already know that plastic bag recycling is a thing you can do at most local grocery stores.

But here's where it gets confusing. Does that mean just the bags from that store? Or can you recycle more? Most drop-off bag collections accept polyethylene film. This includes high-density polyethylene (HDPE or #2 plastic) and low-density polyethylene (#4 plastic or LDPE). It's great if your bags have markings on them, but since most do not, it's good to know some general guidelines.

Accepted Plastics for Drop-Off Bins

Some plastics that can go into the store drop-off bins are

• Plastic shopping bags (from any store - remove receipts, etc.)
• Zipper-top plastic food storage bags
• Bread bags
• Some plastic liners from cereal boxes (do not include if they tear like paper)
• Produce bags
• Dry cleaning bags (remove staples, receipts, hangers)
• Plastic newspaper wrapping
• Product wrapping (such as covers a case of water bottles, etc.)
• Bubble wrap and air pillows (popped)
• Plastic shipping envelopes (remove labeling)

ALL materials should be clean and dry. If your bags are not completely clean of food residue, they will contaminate the entire batch. This includes removing all stickers, labels, and staples if any exist. Don't forget to remove receipts as well!

Plastics That Need to Go in the Trash

Other plastics need to go into the trash. These include:

• Frozen food bags
• Cereal box liners that tear like paper
• Biodegradable bags
• Pre-washed salad bags
• Candy bar wrappers
• Chip bags
• Six-pack rings

Crinkly plastic bags such as pre-washed salad bags, chip bags, and cereal box liners that tear are made of different plastics that are less likely to be recyclable at all. So if it crinkles, do not add it to retail recycling drop-offs.

Why Doesn't My Local Recycling Accept Plastic Bags?

Although a small handful of communities accept plastic in curbside bins, the vast majority do not. That's because most facilities don't have the personnel and equipment they would need to process them.

Rigid plastics, like gallon milk containers, are easily processed by machine. They are carried by conveyor belts and machine sorted. But throwing plastic bags into the mix wreaks havoc on these machines. The bags bend easily and get snagged in belts. They jam machinery and need to be cleared by hand.

The extra labor required to handle these problems and the higher amount of equipment downtime makes your recycling program less profitable. That means that your government has less to spend on other programs.

Accepted Bags

The few locations that do accept plastic bags in their curbside collection likely do not accept these bags and plastic overwrap loose in the bin. Check to see what the specific requirements for collection might be if your municipality accepts these bags. The common requirement is that residents put all bags into one bag and tie it at the top so recycling workers can easily pick the bag out before it goes to the sorting machine and gets tangled in the gears.

Other locations may accept bags at their facility as a drop-off item only. This likely also has the requirement of stuffing all your bags and overwrap into one bag. Just like retail drop-off locations, all thin plastic film should be clean and dry and free of stickers, staples, and receipts.

Bagging Recyclables

Another recycling rule to keep in mind is to not bag your recycling. Curbside collection should be loose in the bin. Some municipalities allow overflow to be bagged in large transparent recycling bags, but you should never be adding small plastic shopping bags filled with recyclables into your bin.

Bagging items in these small bags ends up making it difficult for facilities to sort the items, and it is likely that these bags will be sent to landfill along with all the other viable recyclables inside. So make sure to avoid bagging your recyclables.

The Bottom Line

You can recycle plastic bags and overwrap packaging, but don't put them in your home recycling bin! You'll need to drop them off at your local grocery store or possibly at the local recycling facility if available. Check the lists above for guidelines on what is accepted and check with your drop-off location if you have any questions.

Today, let's turn you on to composting and get you slinging soil that'll make your garden happy and increase your local landfill's lifespan. According to EPA estimates, about 30% of our household waste is made up of compostable material, i.e. plant food. Unfortunately, when our biodegradables are landfilled, they take up much-needed space that could be used by other garbage items. When landfills run out of room, we need to create more of them. By composting, we cut waste and conserve space. Who wouldn't want that?

The basics

Composting is all about finding the right balance of ingredients. Using water, air, sunlight, green materials, and brown materials, you can start producing what gardeners like to call "black gold' rich topsoil that'll give your homegrown herbs and veggies a natural boost.You're probably wondering what green and brown materials are, exactly. No worries, let's break them down.Green materials are high in nitrogen. Because they contain moisture, they tend to decompose quickly. They include:

 
• Fruit and vegetable scraps
 
• Coffee grounds and unbleached filters
 
• Tea bags
 
• Fresh leaves and plants
 
• Grass clippings
 
• Clover
 
• Seaweed

Brown materials are high in carbon. They're dry, so they take a longer time to break down. They include:

 
• Corncobs
 
• Breads and grains
 
• Nutshells
 
• Shredded newspaper
 
• Dead leaves
 
• Twigs and small branches
 
• Sawdust

This list is by no means exhaustive, by the way, but it's a great place to start. Though fruit and vegetable skins make great compost, any that have been treated with pesticides should be left out. Remember: the stuff you compost is returning to the earth, so it's important to keep bad chemicals out. If your community has an organics program, check in with them to see exactly what's accepted.

Mixing the perfect pile

Now, the tricky part: finding the right mix of brown and green materials. Depending on who you talk to, you'll get a different answer. Some say one-part green to two-parts brown materials. We've even seen one-part green to thirty-parts brown materials.Really, though, it comes down to preference. If your compost stinks, brown materials will eliminate the odor. Too much brown materials will slow down the process, though, so keep that in mind. Be sure to keep your materials wet, too. For reference, think of a damp sponge, and if you can, try to turn your pile to air out your materials. Composting is all about creating the ideal environment for the microorganisms that break down compost. Like us, they need air and water.The perfect pile shouldn't stink. It should smell like soil. And when it's done composting, it'll look like chocolate cake.

No yard? No worries

Condo and apartment dwellers can compost, too. Whether you make your own composter or purchase one that does all the work for you, there are options for everyone. If you don't use the soil yourself, you can donate it to a friend, a community garden, a school, or local grower. For a simpler solution, services like CompostNow will provide you with an organics bin and do all the heavy lifting, for a fee.It doesn't matter if your community has an organics program or not, it's easy to get involved. Plus, we can help. If your city is on the Recycle Coach Network, you can download our app for free.

There's nothing quite as satisfying as a fresh pizza on a Friday night.

When it comes to recycling greasy pizza boxes, however, the results can be less than ideal. To understand why, let's take a look at how paper and cardboard recycling works.

Paper Recycling Process

The heat processes required for glass, metal, or plastic recycling can burn off small amounts of food residue. Unless there is an excessive amount of food left on recyclables, your glass, metal, and plastic materials will come out just fine.

But paper recycling is another story. Since paper doesn't get heated during the process, grease and oil combine with the pulp, which can ruin the entire batch.

Once your paper and cardboard are sorted into grades and types, they move on to the paper mill where they may spend weeks in storage, ample time for food particles to turn rancid and attract insects or animals.

After that, they are washed with soapy water and sometimes chemicals to remove inks, plastic film, staples, and glue. The batch is then sent to a large receptacle where it's mixed with water to create a slurry.

That's where your greasy pizza box (or any paper product that's greasy) gunks up the works. Even though it's been through a soapy bath, if you've ever washed something full of grease or oil, you know that it takes quite a bit of effort and soap to remove it completely.

Once in the slurry, the remaining oil floats to the top and becomes impossible to separate. Depending on what type of paper the mill was going to make and how much contamination is present, the entire batch may be ruined.

To avoid contaminating clean materials, it is good practice to cut off the clean tops of your pizza boxes to send to recycling but dispose of the greasy bottoms in the trash.

Wish-Cycling

Many of us have the best of intentions when we go to toss non-recyclables into curbside bins. Because we want an item to be recyclable, we 'sneak' it in, even when we know we're not supposed to. Enter, wish-cycling.

When this happens, unwanted items often cause problems. They may be caught early in the process, pulled out, and thrown in the trash, or they may make it through and contaminate an entire batch of clean materials.

Due to this troublesome issue, it's always best to look up your local rules when it comes to greasy and soiled products.

New Advances in Technology

In the simplest form of advanced technology, many pizza places have started to add an extra layer of corrugated cardboard under the pizzas to avoid the entire box becoming soiled. This layer of cardboard can then be disposed of, leaving the rest of the box clean and ready for recycling!

As for recycling facilities, there are some programs that are now accepting soiled paper products because of the machinery they have or the volume of paper collected that makes it feasible to accept these greasy items. These locations are few and far between, so make sure to check your municipal recycling requirements before you accidentally wish-cycle.

There are also some municipalities that accept greasy pizza boxes in their organic waste collection if they use an anaerobic digestion process to recycle organic waste. Check your organic program to see if this applies.

The Bottom Line

Grease and oil are two of the worst contaminants in paper recycling, and greasy pizza boxes are one of the biggest culprits. Check with your local recycling program to find out what you should do the next time you grab that final slice, but when in doubt, cut off the greasy parts, throw them in the trash, and recycle the rest.

There's an easy way for you to make recycling economically viable for your community, and it only takes a second of your time. Seriously, just one second. So, what is it, you ask?Stop bagging your recyclables.Unfortunately, most of us like to put our plastic bottles, metal cans, and paper items in a plastic bag before tossing them into the recycling bin. No matter how harmless those plastic bags might seem, they're a big no-no.

What's the damage?

Turns out your community's material recovery facility (the place where your recyclables are processed) can't handle plastic bags. They jam the processing equipment, which creates work stoppages. By work stoppages, we mean the whole recycling facility has to shut down. Just because of plastic bags.Some facilities don't even bother with the bags. When workers see them, they toss them in the garbage - even ones that contain perfectly good recyclables. Others schedule in time for employees to clear bags from the machinery. This can take up to an hour every single day. Sometimes longer. Plus, it can be dangerous, since facility staff have to scale the equipment and use sharp carpet knives to cut the bags free.Now, imagine if you couldn't do your job for an hour daily? You probably wouldn't be all that productive, would you?That's exactly what's happened to the recycling industry. Some cities are losing up to $1000 per day because of these stoppages. According to the City of Phoenix, plastic bags cost them $1 million in lost time every year. Recycling is becoming less productive and less profitable. So much so, that cities across the country are rethinking their recycling programs. And none of us want that.Thankfully, the fix is easy. By keeping plastic bags out of your recycling bin, you can have a significant impact on the long-term sustainability of recycling. And wouldn't that be swell.

Dealing with plastic bags

Now that you know plastic bags don't belong in your recycling bin, you're probably wondering what to do with them. You could toss them in the garbage, but keep in mind, they take a long time to photodegrade - up to 500 years, according to experts. Plus, they wreak havoc on wildlife.If you're not into creating more waste, here are some other things you can do with those pesky plastic bags:

 
1. Reuse them. Instead of getting new ones, reuse the ones you already have.
 
2. Recycle them. Yes, you can recycle plastic bags - just not in your recycling bin. Every year we use about half a trillion plastic bags. Only 1% of are recycled correctly. Plastic bags can be dropped off at most supermarkets and big box stores. Keep your eyes peeled for takeback bins. British Columbia residents can drop plastic bags and overwrap off at a Recycle BC depot. You can find your nearest depot here. Tacoma, Washington residents can do the same at the Recycle Center. Plastic bags are recycled into more plastic bags and composite lumber.

Whatever you decide, just remember not to bag your recyclables. That way, you can contribute to a more efficient, more profitable recycling program.

Each year, we throw out a whopping three billion batteries. That's a lot of batteries. Question is, where do they all end up?

Like other types of electronic waste (e-waste), batteries don't go in your recycling or trash bins. Ever. Some of those used-up batteries you've got lying around the house are actually household hazardous waste. That's because they contain plenty of harmful stuff, like heavy metals. The only exception is alkaline batteries, such as Duracell or Eveready batteries, because some cities accept them in the trash. Best thing to do if you're not sure is to treat all batteries as electronic waste.

Lead-Acid Automobile Batteries

Most of these puppies get recycled, assuming you dispose of them correctly. 90%, to be exact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That's why it's so important to bring them to a certified e-waste recycler. Many auto retailers and service centres will accept them for recycling, too. Between 60 - 80% of lead-acid batteries contain recycled plastic and lead. They're a crucial part of the circular economy.

Non-Automotive Lead-Based Batteries

These types of batteries power heavy-duty industrial equipment, alarm systems, even emergency lighting. The same disposal rules for lead-acid automobile batteries apply to them, as well.

Dry-Cell Batteries

Dry-cell batteries cover everything we use at home, including 9-volt, A-type, C, D, button, coin, or rechargeable batteries. As mentioned, some cities accept alkaline batteries in the trash. You can find them in plenty of battery-operated devices, from your TV remote to your flashlight.

Before tossing an alkaline battery out, check to make sure it's actually alkaline. It'll say so right on the battery. Lithium-ion batteries, which sometimes look like alkaline batteries, should never go in your garbage or recycling bins. These batteries pose a serious risk to the people who have to sort through your waste.

In the first four months of 2018 alone, lithium-ion batteries were partly responsible for 347 unique waste and recycling facility fires across the U.S. and Canada, resulting in five deaths and five injuries to facility workers. This is a growing issue in the waste industry, and it's something we can fix by simply recycling our batteries correctly. So, again, don't toss these guys in your garbage or recycling!

For anything that's not an alkaline battery, make sure to get it to the correct drop-off location. Many retailers will take them back. Some university or college custodial services will do the same. Organizations like Call2Recycle offer take-back programs in the U.S. and Canada. You can download the Recycle Coach app, too. If your city is a part of our network, we'll show you where to recycle all the batteries. It's easy. Seriously.

Are there any sustainable alternatives?

If you want to waste less batteries, kudos to you. Instead of buying single-use batteries, look for rechargeable ones instead. With over 1000 charges, they're definitely more sustainable. And cost effective. Once they've worn out, you can dispose of them at an e-waste recycler.

When we talk about recycling, most of us think about putting our plastic containers and aluminum cans in the blue bin. But have you ever thought about recycling building materials in your home?If you're in the market for a major renovation or construction project, there are significant opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle, which helps keep building materials out of the landfill and reduce your building costs at the same time.

Where and how can I recycle building materials?

1) Getting started:

If you are planning a demolition or building project, the best places to go for information are:

 
• Your local Builders' Association
 
• Your state or provincial environmental agency

These organizations can help you determine best practices for your region, plan your project and help you ensure your project adheres to government regulations.

2) Local landfill and recycling regulations:

Some municipalities do not accept residential construction materials, so make sure you understand proper processing and landfill rules in your area before you start. To learn what your city will remove and accept at landfill and how to prepare materials for recycling, contact:

 
• Your local municipality's solid waste and recycling department
 
• Your local waste/recycling haulers

3) Places to buy or sell reusable construction materials

 
• Habitat for Humanity ReStores in Canada, the US, New Zealand or Australia
 
• Search online for local construction recycling depots. Some search suggestions include:
   
  • building material recycling
   
  • recovered building materials for sale
   
  • building reclaimers
   
  • buy used building materials

Why Does recycling building materials matter?

If you think about the sheer volume of material used throughout the building process, recycling building components makes logical sense. Reusing materials:

 
• Reduces the demand for new resources
 
• Cuts costs related to the production and transportation of new materials and
 
• Eliminates the need to send waste to landfill sites

On the demolition side, every time you process hazardous waste properly, you keep it out of the landfill and minimize toxic build-up in our environment. Substances such as asbestos, latex paint, chemical solvents, adhesives, lead-based paint need to be treated with care to reduce their impact on the environment. Granted, it takes more time and care to dismantle and preserve reusable parts, but the resale price alone will make it worth your while.

What happens to recycled construction materials?

Many common construction and renovation materials can be reused or recycled. For example:

 
• Concrete: can be broken down and recycled as base course for building driveways and footpaths
 
• Untreated timber: is used as firewood or mulched. Large pieces can be re-milled and put back to use in construction
 
• Asphalt paving:  is crushed and recycled back into new asphalt for paved roads
 
• Trees and brush: are recycled as compost or mulch
 
• Timber, large dimension lumber (i.e. lumber longer than 6 ft), plywood, flooring, and molding  can be reused directly
 
• Metals (i.e. steel, aluminum, copper): can be melted down and reformed into new metal products.  They can also be sold for scrap

Using the What goes where? search tool 

For city-specific information about recycling building materials, visit the Recycle Coach homepage and type in the city or municipality that you live in. If your municipality is signed up, you will be able to use the What goes where?search tool to find out exactly where you can drop off these materials in your community. If your municipality is not signed up, be sure to register for updates that will let you know when the tool becomes available for your area.

According to the?Aluminum Association,? aluminum is among the most valuable and recyclable materials known to humanity. It forms a perfect closed loop and can be recycled endlessly. Some 75% of all products made from aluminum are recycled in the US. But what about foil? Recycling this tricky type of aluminum is not so straightforward. Here are 5 must-know tips that will help you optimize the way you recycle aluminum foil in your home.

#1: Find Out What Is Accepted in Your Program

What is aluminum foil anyway? You might know that foil is potentially recyclable, but between foil sheets, or pans, or packaging you may not know what to do with it. And tin foil is not biodegraddable.Aluminum cans are accepted for recycling almost everywhere, but foil pans and foil sheets may be different from city to city.

A single American throws away roughly three pounds of foil every year. If it reaches the landfill, it will take approximately 400 years to break down through the oxidation process. Worse still, if it's burnt it contributes to toxic air pollution and releases harmful gases into our atmosphere.

Check with your municipality to see if they accept aluminum foil pans and aluminum foil sheets. Foil pans are more widely accepted since they are easy to wash, but foil sheets can sometimes be nixed by recycling programs due to the high levels of food contamination.

#2: Contaminated Tin Foil Can�t Be Recycled

Clean tin foil is recyclable in many municipalities - until it comes into contact with your lunch. Because foil recycling relies on clean materials, you can't just ball up your foil and throw it in the recycling bin. Once the foil is contaminated with food waste, it stops being viable.

If enough contaminated foil gets into your stream, it has the potential to ruin every other material in that load. This means?none of it can be recycled,?so the entire process is rendered null and void. Educate your household about clean tin foil recycling to prevent contamination.

#3: Clean Your Foil

An easy way to get around the food contamination is to wash off, wipe off, or scrape off food particles from your foil pans and sheets before adding them to your bin. If there is caked on food from baking or balled up foil sheets that have food in all sorts of crevices, do not add these items to your recycling.

Foil pans and takeout containers can even be washed in the dishwasher. It is actually recommended to put foil in dishwashersto help remove stains on silverware and prevent rust. If you are putting foil sheets in, use the top rack and place something over it to keep it in place during the wash.

#4: Reuse Tin Foil

The good news is that you're not powerless against the food contamination making its way into your canteen. Once you wash your foil pans and sheets, you can use them again and again. In this case, you are recycling them at home until they become too worn to use. Think of the cost savings of using these items again and again!

Reusing aluminum foil is an infinitely better alternative to plastic for food storage and wrap. Aluminum packaging is strong and can be used repeatedly then it can likely be recycled. Again, check with your municipality to see what types of aluminum they accept.

#5: Get Creative About Reusing Foil

Aluminum foil recycling is the final step in the lifecycle of your foil (before it becomes another aluminum product). The goal of sustainability?is to keep the recyclable material in play as long as it's useful, and to only recycle it once it has no more use.

Tin foil has an enormous range of uses that you can take advantage of. It polishes silverware, cleans grills, scrubs dishes, sharpens scissors, improves radiator efficiency, and reflects light in a sun box for office plants. Find ways to lengthen its lifespan in your home.

Looking Forward

Right now, aluminum cans are the easiest to recycle but we want to challenge your household to start tackling the products that aren't so easy. Set a goal to make foil recycling a regular practice at your home and in your daily lives.