Friday, February 16, 2018

Waste Tips Part 4

Hey you! As you probably know, our household was accepted to be apart of Hennepin County's Zero Waste Challenge. We've signed up for 9 months of education, training and challenging our own behaviors. I've been really nerdy and sharing tips via twitter along the way and I thought I would compile there here as well. To be clear, it's important that you know your own local area recycling rules - and it's great to research what facility actually processed your waste streams and ask your questions to them for the straightest answers! Most of there are general & applicable everywhere, but some might be our area specific.

the goal should be to recycle all of your waste that is recyclable, it should never be to 'recycle more'. Refusing excess packaging is number 1 priority.

the goal should be to compost all of your waste that is compostable, it should never be to 'compost more'. Reducing food waste is number 1 priority.

for plastic films, if you can easily stretch it over your thumb, it can be recycled alongside plastic bags. Clean and dry bread bags, plastic wrap, shipping air pillows, TP packaging - can all go with your plastic shopping bags

most curbside recycling do not accept plastic bags, but they are technically recyclable. Use the link below to find a drop off location near you. Most are grocery stores. www.plasticfilmrecycling.org

tiny bits and pieces are difficult to recycle because they fall through the sorting machines. Small items, like lids, can be put inside a larger vessel of the same material to help them travel to the right spot.

plastics have a low market value and take a lot of resources to renew. Try reducing your plastic consumption. Reach for glass, metal or paper to recycle instead.

think about your disposable food container choice... will it be soiled by greasy, wet food thats hard to rinse? = compostable is the way to go. Will it be dry or easy to rinse clean? = recyclable material is a better option.

did you know that frozen food boxes are trash and cannot be recycled? The cardboard is coated in plastic due to temp and moisture conditions.

labels on glass or metal containers do not need to be removed. They get burned off in the melting process.

the average person generates 4.4 lbs of waste per day, how much of yours can you recycle?

if you have a pile or need to find one, check out . It's community composting

only 1/3 of phone books are recycled, 2/3 end up in the landfill. While technically recyclable, consider opting out instead

you can inside with a worm bin! No smell and less space. It's a great option for apartment living

next time you make a run to your local material drop off site, see if friends or neighbors have anything you can bring along. Might as well make a carload and encourage others to dispose properly.

did you know roughly 2/3 of household waste could be composted?? Composting is a great first step to reducing trash

the chasing arrows and number on plastics does not actually indicate recyclability. The number identify the type of plastic.

not sure where to recycle that thing? Use earth911 to find your closest drop off site

if you can't have a compost pile or if there isn't municipal compost collection in your city, talk to your friends and neighbors - maybe they have a pile you can contribute to

not sure if that paper or cardboard is recycable? Do the water drop test - if the fibers absorb the drop of water it is recyclable. If it runs off it is likely coated in plastic = trash.

in the compost vs recycle debate of which is better, remember compostable uses energy to create a single use product

typically plastics #1, 2, 4, 5 are recyclable.

if your yard compost pile smells, add more browns

for your yard pile. Browns = dry leaves, torn up paper, straw, twigs, dryer lint, woodchips. Greens = grass clippings, kitchen scraps, coffee grinds.

95% of e-waste is recyclable. Don't throw it in the garbage!