WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS
America Recycles Day – Residential Recycling Tips & Resources
November 15 is America Recycles Day, and it is a great time to be mindful of all the waste that households generate! By rethinking waste, and recycling properly, you’re playing a key role in preventing pollutants such as trash, plastics, and yard waste from reaching our waterways. Here are some helpful waste reduction resources and tips to keep in mind on November 15th and every day of the year!
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Residential Recycling Tips & Resources
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ReThink Waste–San Diego County encourages residents to reconsider what they think is waste by taking a second look at what they are throwing away, how much they are consuming, and becoming active participants in waste reduction efforts. Here are just a few ways to rethink waste.
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Reduce food waste by planning ahead – Prepare for the right amount of food for your family meals and for leftovers and plan to use up ingredients you already have on hand. Reduce plate waste by using smaller dishes and serving spoons.
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Reuse/repurpose cardboard – Reduce the number of boxes you receive by consolidating shipments. Reuse or offer excess boxes to neighbors. Repurpose boxes into play items for kids and pets or tear up into small pieces to use as compost or as a weed blocker in your garden or yard. When you do recycle a box, make sure to break it down so the lid on the recycle bin can be fully closed.
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Stop junkmail – Permanently opt out and remove your name from promotional offers, mailing and catalog lists, and sign up for paperless billing. Learn how to stop unwanted junkmail through the County of San Diego’s Junkmail Reduction Kit.
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Donate, reuse, repair or upcycle unwanted clothing and textiles – Swap, sell or donate unwanted clothing through neighborhood groups or garage sales and thrift stores. Reuse, repair or upcycle clothing into usable items like pet toys, resusable bags or quilts.
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Compost food scraps and yard trimmings – Composting is nature’s way of recycling. There are many benefits of composting; watch this video to learn more about how and why you should compost. Sign up for free composting workshops and the compost bin voucher program for unincorporated residents of San Diego County.
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Recycle Right Program - Learn about what and how to recycle through the County’s Recycling Right webpage and video. Remember – Recycling Right means your items are Empty, Dry, and Loose. Follow these recycling DOs and DONTs to make sure items don’t accidentally end up in our storm drains and ultimately our waterways:
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Recycling DOs and DONTs:
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Paper/cardboard/cartons – DO flatten boxes; DON’T flatten cartons (keep lids on) and DON’T recycle facial tissue, napkins, or paper towels or shredded paper
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Plastic – DO recycle plastic bottles (keep lids on), containers, cups, to-go containers, tubs and buckets; DON’T recycle plastic bags, plastic film/wrap, Styrofoam food and drink containers, foam packing peanuts, straws, utensils, or compostable plastic
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Glass – DO recycle any colored glass and keep lids on; DON’T recycle drinking glasses, window glass, or Pyrex
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Metals – DO recycle aluminum cans and bottles, metal cans/containers, emptied aerosol cans, and aluminum foil. DON’T place scrap metal in recycling bins, instead bring to a scrap metal recycler
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Bin lids – DO securely close bins on recycling, trash, and green waste bins to prevent animals or the wind from removing items from the bin.
In appreciation for America Recycles Day, consider participating in several waste-reduction events or webinars held during the month of November hosted by Solana Center for Environmental Innovation and I Love A Clean San Diego.
For additional information on recycling or locations to recycle, repair, donate, or properly dispose of an item, visit WasteFreeSD.org or contact 1-877-R-1-EARTH. Or visit the County of San Diego’s webpage for information on materials requiring special handling. CalRecyle also has a variety of helpful information and resources on California recycling programs and resources.
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