Recycling Dos and Don'ts

Each community has their own regulations on what can be recycled and what cannot. Always check with your community recycling program to see what’s ok before you start. We’ve found that, in most communities, the following recycling dos and don’ts usually apply.

Do Recycle

- High-quality plastics labeled with number one and two recycling symbols.
- Food and beverage containers, such as milk, soda, water, salad dressings, etc.
- Jars and canisters, like peanut butter jars, soap, aspirin bottles, etc.
- Cleaning products and detergents, including bleach, soap, shampoo, drain cleaners, etc.
- Automotive and yard care products, but make sure the containers are empty.
- Junk or direct mail, including brochures, fliers, white/light envelopes, etc.
- Aluminum, tin and steel cans, such as soda, beer, tuna, vegetable, etc.
- Printed paper like newspaper, magazines, phone books, legal pads, etc.

Don't Recycle

- Plastic bags
- Newspaper delivery bags
- Styrofoam
- Lids from glass containers
- Pizza boxes
- Phone books
- Mirrors
- Aerosol cans
- Paint cans
- Wax paper
- Food-soiled paper
- Window glass
- Ceramics
- Light bulbs
- Microwaveable food trays
- Other types of plastic not labeled as CA Redemption Value or CA Cash Refund, including, household cleaners, cough syrup, shampoo bottles, condiment bottles, cosmetic containers, ketchup bottles, yogurt cups, deli product containers, egg cartons, disposable cups, ready-made lunch containers, etc.

What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean?

Sometimes it seems like modern America is one colossal plastic palace. The versatile material is in our cars, toys, packaging, clothing, home goods, food utensils, medical devices and so much more. It is also littering our streets, clogging our waterways and choking marine life. Many plastics can be readily recycled, but how do consumers make sense of all the different types and rules?

Number 1 Plastics

PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) Found In: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays. Recycling: Pick up through most curbside recycling programs. Recycled Into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers

PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), though the material is in high demand by remanufacturers

Number 2 Plastics

HDPE (high density polyethylene) Found In: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners Recycling: Pick up through most curbside recycling programs, although some only allow those containers with necks. Recycled Into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing

HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

Number 3 Plastics

V (Vinyl) or PVC Found In: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping Recycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers. Recycled Into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats

PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don't let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.

Number 4 Plastics

LDPE (low density polyethylene) Found In: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling. Recycled Into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile

LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it.

Number 5 Plastics

PP (polypropylene) Found In: Some yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles Recycling: Number 5 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs. Recycled Into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays

Polypropylene has a high melting point, and so is often chosen for containers that must accept hot liquid. It is gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers.

Number 6 Plastics

PS (polystyrene) Found In: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases Recycling: Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs. Recycled Into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers

Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products -- in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. The material was long on environmentalists' hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still don't accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction.

Number 7 Plastics

Miscellaneous Found In: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, 'bullet-proof' materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon Recycling: Number 7 plastics have traditionally not been recycled, though some curbside programs now take them. Recycled Into: Plastic lumber, custom-made products

A wide variety of plastic resins that don't fit into the previous categories are lumped into number 7. A few are even made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. Polycarbonate is number 7, and is the hard plastic that has parents worried these days, after studies have shown it can leach potential hormone disruptors.

By Brian Clark Howard

High Tech Recycling Tips

Here are tips on how to recycle everything from your computer to your iPod.

1. Check the Manufacturer

You may find that the company you buy your next computer from will take your old one off your hands, either for free or at a nominal cost according to Consumer Reports.

Manufacturers like Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500), Dell (DELL, Fortune 500), and HP (HPQ, Fortune 500) provide computer recycling services.

Keep in mind, some manufacturers will pick up your old computers and hardware, but other manufacturers require that ship your electronics to them. And that can cost you about $30.

If you want to recycle your iPod or your cell phone, you can do that at an Apple Store.

Some companies will also accept used ink and toner cartridges since they can be filled and resold. And retailers also accept used computer equipment for recycling.

Some retailers like Best Buy (BBY, Fortune 500) sponsor recycling events where you can drop off electronics of all kinds, from TVs to fax machines.

You can check on the retailer's website to see if there is an upcoming event in your neighborhood.

2. Get local

Towns also sponsor collection days for TVs and other electronics.

There may be a drop-off point for electronics waste. To find out what's happening in your area, go to the Electronic Industries Alliance website at http://www.eiae.org/.

You can also find recyclers and recycling events in your area, by visiting my GreenElectronics at mygreenelectronics.com. That site is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association.

3. Donate

Start with your community first, like your local schools or charities.

But there are a number of nonprofit organizations that accept electronics.

Check out Earth 911 at earth911.org and Freecycle.org.

Freecycle.org helps you find a local home for your unwanted electronics.

The Cristina Foundation is another non-profit association that connects potential computer donors with local schools and charities. That website is Cristina.org.

4. Protect yourself

Before you donate anything, from a computer to a cell phone or a personal electronic device, you want to make sure there is no personal information that someone can access.

If you want to get info off of your hard drive, use free software like the one from Eraser. You will be able to remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times. That website is http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/.

And when it comes to your cell phone or PDA, take it back to the manufacturer and have your information deleted by the technician.

Make sure the technician overwrites the data. This process can take up to 30 minutes, but it's free of charge.

5. The little things count

If you want to go green, switch out your light bulbs to compact florescent lamps.

A single bulb can save from $25 to $45 over its life. And it's a long life: Manufacturers claim that CFLs last between 5 and 13 times longer than regular bulbs.

Try to skip the bottled water. Instead, filter your tap water. Bottled water is both expensive and it contributes to a lot of waste.

And make sure you put that computer to sleep. A recent report by Consumer Reports indicates that putting a computer to sleep for 12 hours out of every 24 would save almost 580 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. Keep in mind that screen savers do not actually save energy.

By Gerri Willis, CNN

Learn how to live a long green life by clicking here!