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5 Tips for Handling Waste Materials Which Are Hard to Recycle

If you thought moving was only hard for you, then think again. You changing homes can also adversely affect the environment. As you pack, ensure that you consider the environment around you as well. You can do this by being conscious about what you dump on the land area. Non-biodegradables like plastic bags and plastic containers can only lead to land degradation. It is, therefore, your responsibility to think twice as you seek to dump these items. One of the best ways to dispose of stuff you do not need is by recycling. Read this terrific article about recycling and work accordingly to dispose them.

Recycling is an easy choice for some items that need disposing of but a tough choice for others. There are a number of materials that are quite hard to recycle. If you are considering a move and wondering how to dispose of some of your non-biodegradable trash, here are some items that are hard to recycle and how to tackle it.

Broken Glass

Remember when you broke those glass plates during Thanksgiving and had to put the pieces safely away in a bin to keep them from harming your kids? It’s only right that you put those away for good before you move out. Put the pieces safely in a box and wait for the recycling company to pick them up.

Shredded Paper

All the shredded paper in your study room bin that you never got around to dispose has to go. Paper is one of the easiest things to recycle; shredded paper is however too damaged to be recycled. Your best bet is to dispose it of safely and let nature take its course.

Plastic Bags

These bags may seem quite useful when shopping but are quite harmful to the environment. They leave a huge carbon footprint and are a hazard to animals that swallow them. Recycling these is difficult since they cause huge jams in plant machinery. The best way to deal with these is to stop using them. Several countries such as Kenya and Tanzania have imposed bans on them and for the environment’s sake, many more countries should follow suit.

Pizza Boxes

This may come as a surprise to many since pizza boxes are made of paper and thus easy to recycle right? Yes, until the grease from the pizza contaminates the box. The greasy part of the box holding the pizza is extremely hard to recycle. Before handing away pizza boxes to recycling companies, cut out the part of the box that has been stained by grease and dispose of the cuttings safely.

Paper Made Coffee Cups

We all use one of these while picking up some hot coffee before checking into the office. Recycling these seems like a piece of cake until you consider the thin plastic coating on the cups. These coatings make very difficult to recycle. You can get around this by only using reusable travel mugs for your coffee.

Bottle Caps Made of Plastic

Since different plastic materials have varying melting points, the bottle and its cap may not be reprocessed well together. The best way to handle this is to separate the bottle from its cap.

3 thoughts on “5 Tips for Handling Waste Materials Which Are Hard to Recycle

  • I love your tip about how you can safely recycle broken glass in a box. I’m sure that applies to glass broken from appliances. Recycling microwave glass is probably a good idea considering it might have too many isotopes.

    Reply
  • It’s good to know that you shouldn’t recycle pizza boxes with grease still in the box. I’ve been looking for more things to recycle in my home. I’ll be sure to recycle pizza boxes without the grease staining it.

    Reply

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