We’ve all heard it – reduce, reuse, recycle. We know the intricacies of recycling can feel daunting, but it’s better to try than to not try at all. We’re here to help break down single-stream recycling and show how a small change can make a big difference.
Single-stream recycling is where you put all your recyclable items, such as paper, plastic, aluminum, and metal and glass objects, into a single bin. That bin will get collected and sorted at a recycling facility and then sent off to different recycling locations.
Single-stream recycling helps consumers participate in their local recycling programs with little-to-no effort. You can simply toss it all into one bin and the Materials Recovery Facility will do the sorting work for you.
With single-stream recycling, you won’t have to worry about having multiple bins for different types of materials.
You can toss your soda cans and glasses, as well as old papers and broken down cardboard, into a single container. We recommend using Trader Joe’s paper bags for their convenience and recyclability. So the next time you go grocery shopping, you can reuse your paper bag as your recycling bag. The best part – that bag is also recyclable, since it’s made of paper!
Once your recyclables are placed into your curbside recycling bin, your part of the process is done. But if you’re curious about what happens next, we’re here to tell you.
After your recyclables are collected, they will be taken to a Materials Recovery Facility (or MRF). There are over 2,600 MRF sites in the US, with more being built every year to keep up with recycling needs.
At an MRF, all recyclable materials are sorted and processed. Here’s a breakdown of that process.
After all this material is sorted, each of the materials are bound up into a large bundle called a “bale”. A single bale of aluminum can weigh around 1,000 lbs. and can contain over 31,000 cans.
Bales of material are sold and shipped to companies throughout the world where the materials can be made into new products. Recycled aluminum can be back on the shelves as soon as six weeks after they’re tossed!
Though single-stream recycling can streamline the recycling process, it can also lead to some hiccups in the process.
One of the major cons of single-stream recycling is that it can lead to “aspirational recycling”. This is where people will try to recycle things they think can be recycled when these materials should actually just go in a waste bin. This can lead to higher costs within the sorting facilities.
The best way to make sure that your materials are recyclable are by checking the bottom or labels of your cans and bottles. There will always be an indicator for whether something is recyclable, and if it’s not, you don’t have to feel bad about tossing it into your garbage.
The only way that recycling becomes effective is if there is a market for buying recycled goods. When you want to do your part in lessening the impact of consumers on the environment, you can check labels to make sure that your “new” products are made from recycled materials.
The variety of products that are made from recycled materials is always growing. You can find these products everywhere – from in your home, offices, cars, schools, and grocery stores.
Recycling helps the environment and community save on carbon emissions and produce cleaner and more effective ways to power homes and infrastructure.
For example, steel cans are the most recycled packaging product in the world. Using recycled steel saves enough energy to power 18 million homes for a year.
Recycling also reduces the amount of waste in landfills and landfill combustion. By reusing materials and conserving natural resources like timber, water, and minerals, recycling prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials.
As the consumer demands of urban life increase, it’s especially important now more than ever to take care of the waste we’re tossing.
It is our responsibility as a society to take care of each other and the world we live in, and this can be done with small steps. You don’t have to go vegan, compost all your food scraps, recycle and sort all your materials, and only buy second hand to make a positive impact.
Single-stream recycling is one of the cheapest and most viable ways towards a zero-waste society, but we know it takes time and effort from everyone.
Discount Dumpster is passionate about keeping our world beautiful and enjoyable for generations to come. When you rent a dumpster with us, you’re helping us help the community dispose of waste in a safe and effective manner. We partner with local teams to get rid of your trash, so all you have to do is toss what you need to toss.
Give us a call to learn more about how our waste removal services play a part in the journey to reducing, reusing, and recycling!
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