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A Guide to Recycling Common Household Items

household recyclablesThe average individual produces an average of 5 pounds of waste a day and most of that waste is in fact recyclable. If every person across the United States was more conscious of the proper ways to dispose of these items, garbage wouldn’t be as big as a problem as it currently is. Recycling not only saves space in our landfills but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Another positive of recycling – less resources are used recycling an item into something usable compared to the resources used to dispose of trash at a landfill.

Here are several common household items that can be recycled and how to go about recycling them correctly:

1. Batteries

The materials that batteries are made up of contribute to pollution when they aren’t disposed of through the proper channels, especially when they break down in landfills. Most libraries, battery or electronics stores, and even your local grocery store will take your household batteries and ensure they will be recycled properly.

2. Books

Stop throwing your books away! If you no longer want a stack of books in your house, bring them to your local library, donate them in a book drop box, or take them apart and recycle them through your towns recycling center.

3. Ink Cartridges

Like batteries, many ink cartridges are made up of toxic materials that shouldn’t be sitting at landfills. Most business supply stores (Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy) will have bins inside of their store to drop your old ink cartridges for recycling and oftentimes, they’ll give you a discount on your ink purchase when you recycle your old cartridges!

4. CFL Lightbulbs

As many homeowners are switching their compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs out for more efficient options, such as LED light bulbs, many CFL bulbs are not being disposed of correctly. CFL’s actually contain a small amount of mercury which means they can’t be thrown out in your trash or in your curbside recycling. Instead, they need to be recycled through a hazardous waste facility. Not sure where one is? You can drop your CFL bulbs off at Lowe’s or Home Depot and they’ll dispose of them for you!

5. Glasses & Eyewear

Have you recently updated your eyeglasses to a new pair? Instead of throwing yours away, donate them! There are so many individuals that cannot afford a pair of eyeglasses so they depend on people like you! Drop them off at a local eye doctor or glasses place – if they don’t take them, they’ll be able to point you in the right direction. If your glasses are broken to the point of no repair, treat them as you would any other plastic item and recycle them just like you would a plastic bottle.

6. Kitchen Appliances

Replacing your broken or outdated appliances with new ones? Recycling your old ones can be a drag, but it’s worth it. There are three ways you can go about this – sell them, donate them, or recycle them.

Don’t want to deal with the recycling process? Give Elite Junk Removal & Demolition a call today at 978-317-5388. We won’t just ensure your items are recycled through the proper channels, but will also remove any other junk you need gone!

man dragging trash can

Benefits of Hiring Private Waste Removal

Trash TruckIt’s no secret that American’s produce a lot of waste. Each week, most people sit their trash by the curb to be carried away and buried out of sight, never to be thought of again. This system of trash removal has led to major consequences in our environment, but there’s finally another option. Private waste removal comes with multiple benefits and helping the environment just so happens to be one of them!

Environmentally Friendly

Private waste removal companies help people make the most out of their trash. This means separating recyclables and compostable items before shipping the trash to the landfill. Of course, people should begin that sorting process on their own, but private waste removal companies are designed to find the pieces that you miss. The additional sorting process greatly reduces the amount of actual trash being sent to landfills and optimizing the recycling processes available to us. The remaining trash is then compacted to reduce the amount of space taken up at the landfill. At the rate that we’re currently overfilling our landfills and running out of room for all of our waste, this compacting is more beneficial than you know.

Customizable Waste Collection

Private waste removal is for anyone and everyone. The customizable process allows contractors and individuals alike to hire waste collection companies, no matter the volume or materials they need removed. Traditional trash removal is uniform and can’t be customized to meet your needs which leaves many individuals and companies without their needs being met.

Supporting the Local Economy

By hiring a private waste removal company you’re supporting a local business rather than a wealthy municipal business. Those who benefit from your business are people just like you. If you have to spend money for waste removal, wouldn’t you rather see it go to a good cause? Local businesses typically offer much better customer service as well because they value and recognize the importance of each and every customer on their roster.

Competitive Pricing

You might assume that private waste removal is out of your budget, but that isn’t the case. Private waste removal companies understand that people can’t spend an arm and a leg on waste removal, so their prices are often competitive with traditional waste removal. If you have the ability to be more environmentally friendly and support a local business without breaking the bank, why wouldn’t you?

Are you looking for waste removal for your home or business is Salem, Lynn, Peabody, or Beverly? Give Elite Services Junk Removal & Demolition a call today at 978-317-5388.