We all know that recycling is important.  And over 80% of Americans have curbside recycling pickup (at least for paper products, if not for all recyclable materials).  But it remains a fact that many people simply toss all of their trash into the same trash can, sending it all to the landfill.  This is likely because people tend to do what is easiest—and, for many people, recycling at home isn’t set up to be easy.

Because of this, creating a recycling bin center at home could be a great idea for many people.  If more people had recycling bins that were easily accessible and simple to use, more people would begin to sort their trash.  Furthermore, constructing a recycling bin center doesn’t have to require any building skills or difficult work.  People can even select the style of bins that they like best.

Before Beginning

While virtually everyone is able to recycle paper through either curbside pickup or through taking it to a recycling center, other items may or may not be recyclable in certain areas.  Therefore, it is best to check with the municipality to note what can be recycled in the area.  In addition, find out how often recyclables are picked up, if there is pickup service, as this may affect the size of the bins to be used in creating the recycling bin center.

It is also important to learn whether or not the municipality requires sorting of the recyclables.  This will affect the number of bins used in the recycling bin center.  If sorting is not required, two bins will be needed, one for trash and one for recyclables.  If sorting is required, four bins will be necessary—one each for metal, plastic, glass, and garbage.  As far as paper items go, it may be a good idea to use a different type of bin for these items, one that is not with the recycling bin center.  Because paper recyclables tend to be newspapers and magazines for the most part, placing a heavy-duty (but attractive) basket where these items are read is generally best.

Choosing Recycling Bins

Small households that do not sort recyclables should look for bins that are 27-quart in size.  Households that sort all trash into bins should also look for that size in bins.  Larger bins would be recommended for families that have kids or pets.

If there is not much space in which to place the bins, it is best to look for bins that will stack.  Otherwise, the only criterion is to make sure to choose recycling bins that are simple to use and simple to empty.  It has been said that most people fail to recycle because the separating of recyclable items is inconvenient; therefore, it is imperative to choose bins that will make recycling as simple as throwing away trash.

The recycling bins should be placed in the kitchen, if possible, as this is where most food is prepared.  If that isn’t possible, place the bins in a room adjacent to the kitchen.

Photo credits: Wesley Fryer

Related Posts

• How to Design a New Kitchen Layout If you're thinking about remodeling your kitchen, this is the perfect time to address any problems that you may have with the current design. Not all kitchens are made to be useful and it's all too common to get stuck with a design that forces you to walk all over......
• Benefits of Home Warranty Policies Homeowners typically want to protect all that they own and this usually means purchasing an insurance policy for their home and valuables. However, this will not provide any assistance if something just stops working or if something in the home is damaged as a result of typical use. In this......
• How to Distress Furniture Perhaps you own a dresser that isn’t quite your style.  Or it could be that you have a pair of end tables that are looking rather ragged.  In either of these cases, you may be considering purchasing new furniture replacement pieces.  But, that isn’t your only option.  You may want......
• 3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Home There are a wide variety of different things that you can do to improve your home. There are probably dozens of small steps that could be taken today to enrich the quality of your home. Here are three simple ways to improve your home, which can be accomplished in as......
• How to Make a Firepit A great accent to an outdoor space is a fire pit. These features provide a great place for social gatherings, or more intimate get-togethers. Building one in your outdoor area is simple so long as some easy steps are followed and the structure is built very attentively. The first step......

Related Websites

• The Disaster (a.k.a. The $700B Bailout) I did some research on Wikipedia.  If anyone has better, more accurate, figures, please share them in the comments section. The current total population in the United States is 300,000,000. Per 2007 Estimates: 27.4% of the population is younger than 20. 72.6% is 20 and older. Therefore there are 217,800,000......
• 12 ways to earn extra cash If you're like most people, the idea of earning a little extra cash now and then sounds good. But how do you go about it? Here are 12 simple ways to increase your income when you need the occasional boost: 1. Complete product surveys. (Pinecone Research is a legitimate company......
• Green Consumerism Is Still Consumerism; Useless "Green" Product Alert. I am sure you have seen them on tons of "green" websites lately...these "Easy Ecopod" units from Williams-Sonoma that crush your cans and recyclables for you. Do you know how much they cost to buy? $328 dollars. For a can and plastic crusher. Last time I checked I had feet......
• Changing How You Think About Money And Seeking God's Direction With Your Finances This is a guest post from Ryan Yates, owner of www.hillthread.com, a non-profit Christian T-Shirt online store. Hill Thread was created to spread the Truth of the Gospel, to encourage discipleship and spiritual growth, and to raise excitement, awareness, and financial support for missions. Learn more about Hill Thread's mission.......
• Built Up a Reserve Fund Before Anything Else When working as a financial manager for people throughout the years, one of the things that was difficult to convince most who wanted to get a handle on their finances, was the number one thing you must do to start off with to lay a solid foundation for the future,......

Online Stores

• Bins & Baskets Home Organization Housekeeping & Organization Home Store
• Trash Cans & Wastebaskets Cleaning Supplies Housekeeping & Organization Home Store
• Childrens Dining Items Kitchen, Dining & Bar Home Store

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

Green Tips, Handy Man, Project, recycling

Tags:

attractive basket, curbside pickup, curbside recycling, garbage, heavy duty, landfill, magazines, municipality, newspapers, paper recyclables, plastic glass, recyclable materials, recycling bin, recycling bins, recycling center, trash