Why Should I Recycle?

• Recycling Saves Landfill Space. Americans are producing more waste with each passing year, most of which is hauled off and buried in landfills.
• Recycling Can Reduce the Cost of Waste Disposal.
  Getting rid of trash doesn’t come without a price tag. Garbage trucks must pay to dump their waste at a landfill. Recycling reduces landfill costs because less waste is landfilled.
• Recycling Can Save Energy. It almost always takes less energy to make a product from recycled materials than it does to make it from new materials.
• Recycling Saves Natural Resources. Natural resources include land, plants, minerals, and water. By using materials more than once, we preserve the environment.
• Recycling Can Reduce Air and Water Pollution.
• Recycling Creates Jobs. Recycling is estimated to create almost five times as many jobs as waste disposal. The National Recycling Coalition reports that recycling supports 1.1 million jobs in the U.S.

 
Learn more at the Department of Energy
 

Where Should I Recycle?
Successful recycling programs are those that make it easy for people to recycle, such as programs that provide residents with special containers for sorting their waste and collect the recyclables weekly along with the rest of the trash. Ease and convenience are the keys to success.
 

• Curbside Collections - Residents leave their recyclables at the curb or in some other designated place where regular trash is picked up. Curbside collection programs boast the highest recycling rates.
• Drop-Off Centers - In some areas people bring their recyclables to collection centers, saving the community the cost of curbside collection, but relying on the good will of residents to make the trip.
• Reverse Vending Machines - Typically found outside grocery stores, these machines accept used beverage containers and reimburse the depositor on the spot.
• Deposits - Several states impose a 5 or 10-cent deposit on returnable bottles and cans. Consumers get their deposits back when they return the containers to the store for recycling. These so-called “bottle-bill” states originally passed deposit laws to combat litter problems.
• Pick-Up by Volunteers - This is recycling the old-fashioned way. Community groups, such as church groups and the Boy Scouts, collect recyclables to raise money for their clubs.

To find recycling locations and programs near you, use Earth 911's recycling locator. 

Learn more at the Department of Energy

What Can I Recycle?
What you can recycle usually depends on where you live and the services offered in your area.
 

1. The first place you should call when you want to learn how to recycle something is your local recycling, solid waste, environment, or public works department. The names of these departments vary from place to place, but all local governments (i.e., cities, towns, counties) should be able to help you identify the recycling options in your area.
2. You can also ask the company or organization that picks up your garbage or that operates your local disposal facility about recycling options.
3. Your state environmental agency may be able to help. The U.S. EPA maintains a list of these agencies.
4. The store where you originally bought the product may know about recycling options. This is particularly true for durable goods (e.g. furniture, electronics, appliances, etc.)
5. Local and state environmental organizations may be able to help.

Learn more at the National Recycling Coalition or check the Local Resources  section

Recycling Electronics and Appliances
If you have an old television, computer, printer, cell phone or other household electronics that no longer work and you are about to throw them out, stop!  Send it for recycling instead! It's become easy to do, by using the locators below to find a drop-off point near your home or office!
Your options include:
 

1. Retail Store Programs - Many large electronics retail chain stores, like Best Buy, Circuit City, OfficeMax and Office Depot sponsor free, in-store collection events. In some cases, these occur sporadically, but in most cases, you can simply drop off an old TV set (inside the store!). A few retailers may charge a fee or accept only certain types or brands of equipment. Click here to see the master list of stores and click on the one that is best for you
   
2. Local Community Recycling Centers and Private Recycling Firms - Many municipalities now offer recycling programs that can accept electronic waste, like TV sets. You can also take your TV set and other electronic waste directly to a private recycling company. To locate the closest center of either type near you, visit the Environmental Health and Safety Online page.

 
Learn more at Environmental Heath and Safety Online

Donating Unwanted Items
Less than 5% of all personal computers are donated to schools, charities or nonprofit organizations. However, donation can be an easy, tax-friendly way to dispose of your obsolete electronics. The following organizations put your used electronics to good use:
 
Electronics Industry Alliance The Electronics Industry Alliance (EIA), a national trade organization that includes the full spectrum of U.S. electronics product manufacturers, maintains a listing of organizations nationwide that accept donations of electronics products.
 
Computers For Schools An organization addressing the digital divide through an extraordinary, nationwide partnership. The Computers for Schools Program welcomes contribution of quality computer equipment and support dollars to accomplish their refurbishing work from donors across the nation.
 
Share the Technology This website provides a way for donors and potential recipients to connect no matter where they are in the country.
 
EAL Works! Educational Assistance Ltd. turns excess inventory, gently used equipment, services, and other donations into college scholarships for needy students.
 
The 911 Cell Phone Bank  The 911 Cell Phone Bank is an organization set up to ensure that seniors and victims have access to emergency 911 communications. The donated phones are either refurbished for reuse or disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.
 
Find more donation programs at Earth 911  

Recycling Cell Phones
Cell phones are one of the fastest growing forms of electronic waste. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average cell phone life span is about 18 months. They are discarded at an alarming rate of more than 125 million phones per year, resulting in more than 65,000 tons of waste.
 

• Over 43% of American cell phone users replace their cell phone approximately every two years and roughly 20% replace their cell phone every year.
• Americans use an average of six wireless products; and over 16% of consumers own and use ten or more wireless products.
• Refurbishment and reuse of cell phones keeps them out of U.S. incinerators and landfills. Many of the refurbished cell phones are sold abroad.

 
Learn more at Green Guardian

Recycling Garage Waste
Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients are considered to be "household hazardous waste" or "HHW." Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides that contain potentially hazardous ingredients require special care when you dispose of them. Many communities in the United States offer a variety of options for conveniently and safely managing HHW. For more information on which wastes at home are hazardous refer to the EPA's list of common household products with potentially hazardous ingredients.

HHW can be safely disposed of in several ways:
 

• Permanent collection or exchange. See if your community has a facility that collects HHW year-round. Some of these facilities have exchange areas for unused or leftover paints, solvents, pesticides, cleaning and automotive products, and other materials.
• Special collection days. If your community doesn't have a year-round collection system for HHW, see if there are any designated days in your area for collecting solid waste at a central location to ensure safe management and disposal.
• Local business collection sites. If your community has neither a permanent collection site nor a special collection day, you might be able to drop off certain products at local businesses for recycling or proper disposal. Some local garages, for example, may accept used motor oil for recycling.

Learn more at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)