Hobbies And Interests
Day-to-Day Recycling
Your average recycling center or curbside collection service takes glass, aluminum cans and paper. Some also accept plastics, which may or may not need subdividing; steel; cardboard; and organic waste, such as vegetable peelings. If you have a garden, the latter could go on your own compost heap. Wash the containers and note how local facilities want them divided. For example, if you need to sort plastic containers, look for a raised numeral in a triangle on the side or bottom, which tells you what kind of plastic it is. A magnet lets you sort steel cans from aluminum. Squash anything that can be squashed, to save space, and sort the items into separate bags ready for recycling.
Unusual Items
Some items need a special trip. Recyclable items that may be accepted at just a few recycling facilities include used batteries -- which should be recycled because they contain highly toxic materials that will eventually leak out in landfill sites -- clothes hangers, plastic bags, broken electronic goods, aluminum trays and fabrics. Keep these items in large bags, such as trash bags, in a dry place until you have a large quantity or will be passing the appropriate facilities on another errand.
Things to Sell
Strictly speaking, selling unwanted goods isn̵7;t usually recycling, but it is green. In fact, it̵7;s even greener than standard recycling, since no energy will be used at all to make a new item from the old. Things valuable enough to consider selling include good-quality furniture, intact electronics, books, pet cages and crates, designer clothes and the more expensive children̵7;s toys. Then there are metals, the selling of which does involve recycling. Obviously, gold and silver will fetch you some quick cash, but it̵7;s also worth selling other metals if you have a large amount. For example, copper pipes are recyclable and fairly valuable.
Things to Donate
Donate less valuable items to thrift shops and other places in need, such as community centers, or offer them to acquaintances. Such items include most books, intact clothes, toys, pet accessories -- provided your animals didn̵7;t damage them too much -- and decorative items such as ceramic figurines. Even controversial items such as fur coats might have somewhere to go. For example, animal sanctuaries sometimes use furs to provide comforting bedding for rescued or orphaned wild animals.