You recycle not only to reduce waste but also to minimize the need for virgin or new materials. You can recycle many items, and you can earn from recycling, too. But the recycling process can be complicated. And there may be some things about recycling that you do not know yet.
1. You can recycle metals multiple times
Most industries use metal parts. Recycling scrap metals helps reduce metal production costs. Another thing is that you can recycle metals repeatedly, and the materials will not alter their properties. Steel is the world’s most recycled metal, followed by aluminum, copper, brass, gold, and silver. Allow a trusted scrap metal Kansas City recycling facility to help you deal with your collection of scrap metals.
2. Crush plastic bottles
According to the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers, you should crush plastic bottles before sending them to a recycling center. Crushing the bottles prevents the bottle caps from shooting off when the facility crushes the bottles at high speeds. Help the recycling facility by removing the caps, crushing the bottles, and putting the caps back.
3. Save energy through recycling
On average, making new products from recycled materials saves the manufacturers about 50 percent of the energy costs. For example, recycling aluminum cans will only require about five percent energy. However, using new materials to produce aluminum cans consume 95 percent of energy. If your garage is overflowing with aluminum cans and other scrap metals, get in touch with a scrap metal Kansas City recycling facility near you to know how to earn money from selling scrap metals.
Did you know that five pieces of two-liter recycled bottles would create enough fiberfill for one ski jacket? We also save energy when we recycle one glass bottle because that can already light up a 100-watt bulb for four hours. And a glass bottle in a landfill will need one million years to break down.
4. Be a conscientious recycler
Do not throw everything into the recycling bins. Know the things that you can recycle. Christmas lights, garden hoses, and shower curtains are not recyclable. These items will only wrap around the spinning equipment. When that happens, the facility has to shut down the machines multiple times to cut the items. Worse, it can cause the equipment to break down.
5. Do not recycle clamshell packaging
Clamshell packages that hold berries and other small vegetables and fruits are not fit for recycling. They are made of high-value plastic, and food waste can contaminate them. The recycling facility will spend more energy recycling them than producing new products. Reuse the clamshell packaging as seed broadcasters or spreaders.
6. Do not recycle plastic spoons, knives, and forks
The plastic utensils you use at parties and picnics are not recyclable. They come from various low-grade plastics. Thus, it is not possible to identify their plastic-type. Moreover, they are too small to recycle. However, you can clean them and use them for children’s art projects.
Now you know more facts about recycling. It is essential to learn about the proper recycling method, considering that not every item is recyclable.
