How To Get a Recycling Bin For Your Home
Recycling paper food boxes, metal cans, and new cardboard are among the simplest and most effective ways to help the environment as ordinary citizens. For me, keeping recyclables out of disposable garbage is simple since I have a recycling container at home. The question, however, is how to get a recycling bin for your home?
Many Americans can obtain free recycling containers by contacting the government organization in charge of their local garbage and recycling collection. However, in most situations, you must be a resident of the area to receive a free bin, and this is only for places where curbside service is available.
I found out that getting a free recycling bin isn’t that straightforward because of different local recycling systems. You may live in an area where residents receive free curbside recycling bins, or you might have to pay for one. Getting a recycling bin for your home also depends on whether your regional administration has made recycling mandatory or not. Therefore, I have compiled a guide to help you get a recycling bin for your home.
How To Get a Free Recycling Bin For Your Home
A recycling bin in your home would help you sort your waste into appropriate categories for recycling. The different materials include:
- Paper/Cardboard
- Plastic
- Metal
- Glass
If you want a free recycling bin, I suggest you first check whether your municipality or county has a recycling program.
Contact Your Municipality For Information Regarding Recycling Program
You can find out if your city has a recycling program through a Google search. Additionally, recycling services are sometimes managed by your municipality’s sanitation department, so I recommend giving them a call to find out about those services.
Once you’ve determined who manages your local recycling, you can get the contact information to request your bin. You may either need to dial a number or make the request using an online portal.
Suppose you don’t have access to free recycling services. In that case, I suggest you either gather the recycling material and drop it off at a specific location or pay a hauler to handle regular pickups. Customers who pay for collection services from a service like Waste Management often receive “free” recycling bins.
Requirements For Getting a Free Recycling Bin
In most situations, you must be a resident of the area to receive a free bin, which is only applicable in areas where curbside service is available. Towns without a dedicated sanitation agency may hire private garbage carriers to do their task.
The bin may be free in certain circumstances, but the monthly fees for recycling pickup are not. However, in both cases, regulated recycling is not always enforced.
Check Online Services For Free Recycling Bins
If you can’t receive a free recycling container from the municipal authorities, posting a request in local online forums or markets is possible. Platforms such as Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist could be helpful for this. Someone relocating or getting rid of extra recycling bins could be willing to offer one to you for free.
Make a Recycling Bin At Home
Another alternative is to make a recycling bin at home. All you need to do is write “Recycling” on any bin for the curbside pickup. However, it’s not always guaranteed that the local recycling collectors will empty a bin that isn’t officially a recycling bin.
Buying a Recycling Bin
After some research, if you have discovered that there is no feasible way to find a recycling bin in your area, you can opt to buy one yourself. You can easily find basic blue recycling bins online or at your nearest home improvement store. Recycling bins aren’t free unless you have a gift card, but they can be bought for around $20 at home improvement stores. Recyclers who need multiple containers can easily buy a recycle bin cart from Home Depot.
3 Types of Recycling Bins You Can Buy
Below I’ve listed three types of recycling bins that you can buy from your local home improvement store:
1. Single Stream Recycling Bins
Single stream recycling bins only have one container where all recyclable items are stored. This bin is an excellent solution for places with heavy traffic or a lot of activity. This is because a single-stream recycling container saves you the effort of figuring out which item goes where.
2. Double Compartment Trash/Recycling Bin
A double recycling bin contains two compartments on either side for separating waste and recyclables. Due to the two sections, a dual recycling bin is an ideal partner choice for your house when you only need one garbage bin to gather the trash and the recyclables.
In general, dual compartment recycling bins take up less space than two single-stream recycling bins and are often more convenient.
3. Triple Compartment Trash/Recycling Bin
Trash cans with three compartments allow you to manage and sort three types of garbage. For example, home waste, plastics, and paper can go into three separate containers.
Due to a triple-stream compartment, you can effectively increase your recycling effort without buying separate bins for different kinds of recyclables.
Recycling In The US: Plastic, Cans, and Glass
While recycling different types of materials, it’s essential to understand the dos and don’ts. Here’s a little guide to help you through your recycling endeavors:
Recycling Plastic Bottles
To recycle plastic bottles in a nearby recycling center, ensure they are rinsed first. Not rinsing the bottle will produce scents that could attract insects and germs. Verify with the recycling center whether you need to remove the plastic bottle cap. It’s also important to note that many local programs won’t accept poor-quality plastic bottles.
You also need to ensure whether the plastic is recyclable or not. For that, you need to call your local recycling company or check their website to see whether they accept certain types of plastic. If you’re confused, you can visit here to check which plastics can be recycled and which can’t.
Recycling Cans
All metal cans are recyclable, but you must follow the proper process if you want to recycle them correctly. Most recycling centers will accept containers that still have labels on, as they, along with the glue, will burn away. No matter whether the container is tin, plastic or glass.
Do make sure you thoroughly clean the can before disposing of it in the recycling bin though! Plus, keep in mind that some containers will have mixed materials that need to be recycled separately. For example, most aerosol cans have a lid composed of plastic which needs to be removed first and thrown separately in a plastic recyclable plastic container.
Recycling Glass Bottles
Before heading out to recycle glass bottles, contact the local authorities to verify whether glass bottles are covered in your town’s curbside recycling program.
The most important thing to ensure before recycling glass bottles is that the bottle shouldn’t be broken since a majority of the recycling centers do not accept broken glass bottles. Moreover, ensure that you remove any liquid from the glass bottles as well. Also, if you’re recycling a wine bottle, always remember to remove the cork since it isn’t made of glass.
Conclusion
Recycling bins are essential when it comes to lowering the environmental impact of waste materials.
Fortunately, most recycling bins are free and readily available from municipal authorities, and all you need to do is give them a call to get your recycling bin now.
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