Do You Need to Improve Your Recycling Habits?

It’s true. Sometimes I minimize the third ‘R’ of the three ‘R’s’.

A reader left this comment on my last post Reduce, Reuse, Re-gift? : ‘Why replace Recycle? Why not just make Re-gifting the 4^th R? You can never have too many R’s!”

It’s true Jackson, as old-hat as it may seem to some people now (myself included), recycling is still one the greenest actions you can do. And it’s not always that simple.

Doesn’t it seem like one day you can recycle an item then you find out it’s no longer acceptable? Ask two people the same question and you’ll get two different answers. Then there’s the unequal services offered to detached homes, apartments and condos and office buildings! It’s safe to say most people are unsure about what items can be recycled in their community – especially the peculiar ones that aren’t accepted everywhere.

For example, some municipalities accept Styrofoam containers, and others don’t. Plastic bags have not always been acceptable in blue box items, but they are in municipalities like Calgary and Toronto. Both cities suggest bundling many bags into one bag and tying the handles before depositing in the bin, but even between those two cities there are differences. Calgary accepts plastic (saran) wrap, and Toronto doesn’t.

The best way to deal with the uncertainty is to look up your municipality’s website and find the environment or waste management and recycling section. Any updates or changes will be reflected here or you can find a local phone number to get clarity.

Here’s to re-learning your local recycling guidelines at home and at work!

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