Finding Your Recycling Groove

Did you make a new year’s resolution to recycle more or to start recycling in your home? If so, you may be finding it difficult to get started. Habits take some time to form, but forming a recycling habit will be well worth your effort.

Do it every day. Don’t wait until the end of the week or the end of the month to try and sift through trash and pull out recycling. Make recycling part of your daily routine. Before you know it, you won’t be accidently throwing out those recyclable bottles.

Start small. With the amount of material that many communities are able to recycle these days from all types of glass and plastic to newspaper and cardboard, it can seem like a lot to remember if you’re just starting. Commit to recycling just one material to start with. When you’ve got that worked into your routine, add another….and another until you are recycling everything possible.

Keep it organized. Recycling can be discouraging if you end up with stacks of recyclable goods on your counters and around your house. Set up a system of bins near your trash receptacle or in your garage to collect recycled goods and keep them neat.

Pay attention to the results. Before you start recycling in your home, take a quick count of how many bags of trash you typically go through in a week. As you recycle more and more, keep track of how this number changes. There’s nothing more motivating than seeing the quantifiable results of your hard work.

Whether you’ve been recycling for years and want to be more organized about it or you’ve never recycle before, getting in a good recycling groove can help you and the environment.