Some people can’t keep up with recycling, or even try to recycle; recycling helps save our environment by keeping plastic out of the oceans, off the ground, and made into new materials for new things, and so much more! As Earth Day approaches, here are some ways to recycle and make your community better!
1. DIY/Arts nd’ Crafts
- DIY is a huge part of recycling; you reuse things and make them new! Keep your cardboard boxes, keep the bottles, extra paper, and any plastic, and make something new with them in the future. You can make many things with all that stuff; you have to put your mind to it!
2. Eco Brick
- Eco bricks are plastic bottles that are stuffed deep in the bottom with smaller and softer plastics like wrappers, tin foil, or any small unrecyclable wrappers; then put the lid on once it’s filled, and you’re done! You can make loads of things with eco bricks, like outside furniture, walls, flower pots, garden beds, and so much more! One thing to do is NEVER throw them away because you’ll be doing more harm than good! If you have an eco brick and are not sure what to do with it, you can always donate the bricks to people who will put great use!
- Remember to always wash the plastic bottle, jar, or jug before doing this!
Links
- About eco bricks: @tiktokforgood TT / Things to do with them: @alektisofficial YT / Where to donate:
3. Reuse
- Reuse things like plastic water bottles more than once, refill and reuse your plastic soap bottles, and reuse anything that can be refilled again! Doing this can slow down your plastic waste, plus right after you’re done with it, you can always save for your eco brick or a craft!
4. Organic Waste
- You can make compost out of your organic wastes like kitchen scraps, fruit/veggie peelings, coffee grounds, and green garden waste, along with dry leaves, twigs, shredded paper, cardboard, and eggshells (browns).
- Compost is used to feed your garden!
5. Bins
- If you can’t save much plastic waste, you can always properly give it away on pick-up day with the right bins.
- If you have containers, make sure to empty, clean, and dry them; make sure the containers have no food or liquid residue.
- Don’t bag anything and keep the items loose directly into your recycling bin. Plastic bags are “tranglers” that can shut down recycling machinery and often cause entire batches of good recyclables to be thrown away.
- Always flatten your cardboard to save space in the bin and make it easier for facilities to process.
There are also many other ways to help keep the Earth clean, like:
1. Community Clean-Ups
- Volunteer in community clean-ups in your area to help the neighborhood be litter-free!
- Volunteer opportunities for students in the area; there are easier ways, such as through our GNA Key Club.
2. Old Clothes & Shoes
- If they are in good condition, donations to local charities are the best form of “recycling”.
3. Donate to Organizations
- You can always donate to organizations that need help with the processes of things like ocean/beach clean up, help plant more trees, and so much more; basically anything that will help us for the future, try to support!
Other than this, there are many ways to keep our Earth clean. While Earth Day is coming up, don’t let yourself only care about the world for one day; pick up the trash, separate waste from plastic, and pick a recycling method/habit, because the little things make a big difference, and it all starts with you!
