EARTH DAY

SAVE THE EARTH

There are a few key elements to starting any recycling program for a business, a school, an organization or just in your home.

1. Decide what to recycle—Evaluate how much space you have to sort and store materials and what items you tend to go through. Paper products are a safe bet to be recycled, and aluminum or steel cans are valuable. Other commonly accepted items include glass and plastic bottles.
2. Find a vendor—Check with your local recycling center, municipality and waste hauler to find out what kind of materials are accepted in your area.
   
3. Decide on storage—Washable plastic bins or trash cans are the best and cardboard boxes are good too. Be sure to rinse out the containers that held food to avoid critters.
4. Educate participants—If items are put in the wrong containers, it means more work for you and could mean materials might not be recycled. Let the people know what to do.
5. Label bins—Print up a sheet of special instructions, such as: remove caps, stomp on containers, break down cardboard boxes, bundle newspapers, etc.
6. Maintain and monitor—Keep the storage bins clean and dry and make sure materials don’t pile up. A clean recycling area encourages other to keep it clean and uncluttered. Watch for critters from unwashed containers.
7. Reward good behavior—Praise your participants and share any monetary rewards from dropping off materials.