PLASTIC
What can you recycle?
- Plastic detergent bottles
- Plastic milk bottles
- Plastic juice bottles
- Plastic soft drink and water bottles
- Plastic cups
- Plastic food trays
Reducing tips
- Use a reusable produce bag
- Buy boxes instead of bottles
- Use a reusable bottle or mug
- Make fresh squeezed juice instead of buying juice in plastic bottles
Upcycling ideas
GLASS
What can you recycle?
- Food jars
- Juice and soda bottles
- Tea jars
Reducing tips
- Reuse glass jars and bottles to reduce waste
- Reuse glass for vases and containers
- Reuse glass container for storing pens , paint brushes buttons …
Upcycling ideas
PAPER
What can you recycle?
- Used office paper
- Newspapers/magazines
- Mixed or colored paper
- Cardboard and other packaging paper
- Shipping boxes
- Tissue boxes
- Food packaging (remove existing plastic wrappers & inner packaging)
- Books ( covers ripped off )
Reducing tips
- Read the news online
- Buy recycled paper
- Reuse paper and envelopes around the home
- Reuse cardboards boxes to make playhouses for your kids
- Change your bills to ‘paperless’ and pay them online or by phone
- Use electronic storage rather than paper storage for material
- Use a white board for lists/notes/announcements
- Try to not use paper plates. Use durable washable ones
Upcycling ideas
METAL
What can you recycle?
- Clear aluminum cans
- Metal caps
- Steel cans
- Food cans
- Deodorants
- Aluminum trays
Reducing tips
- Aluminum foil: wash if necessary , flatten and reuse at a later time
- Juice cans: use as pencil holder
Upcycling ideas
ORGANIC
What can you recycle
- All yard waste
- Vegetable and fruit waste
- Plants and flowers
- Food waste
Reducing tips
- Shop smart : plan meals , use grocery lists .
- Buy exactly what you need
- Eat leftovers
- Donate what you won’t use
Upcycling ideas
Check the bottom of your bottle!
PET or PETE: Polyethylene terephthalate
*One of the most commonly used plastics in consumer products.
* Mostly found in water and soft drink bottles.
*For single use only.
*Repeated use increases the risk of leaching and bacterial growth.
*Difficult to sanitize.
HDP or HDPE: High-density polyethylene
*HDPE plastic is the stiff plastic used to make milk jugs, detergent, oil bottles, toys and some plastic bags.
*It doesn’t release any chemicals.
*Recommended when buying bottled water as they are the safest in the market.
PVC or 3V : Polyvinyl chloride
*Soft, flexible plastic.
*Used to make food wrapping, cooking oil bottles , teething rings, children’s toys..
*It releases 2 toxic chemicals that affect the hormones in your body.
LDPE: Low-density polyethylene
*Not used in the production of bottles.
*Contains dangerous chemicals in food packaging.
PP: Polypropylene 
*White colored or semi transparent plastic.
*Used for syrups and yogurt packaging.
*Excellent heat-resistance qualities.
*A good barrier against moisture, grease and chemicals.
PS: Polystyrene
*A wide variety of uses: Disposable styrofoam drinking cups, take-out food containers, egg cartons and plastic picnic cutlery.
*Releases carcinogenic substances when heated.
*Not suitable for long-term use as a food or drink container.
PC or non-labeled plastic: Polycarbonate
*Used in the production of sports water bottles and food containers.
*The most dangerous plastic.
*Reuse and recycling protocols are not standardized within this category.
*Risk of chemicals leaching into food or drink products.
Recycling benefits
- Reduces the Size of Landfills
- Conserves Natural Resources
- Saves Money
- Saves Energy
- Stimulates the Use of Greener Technologies
- Prevents Loss of Biodiversity
- Builds A Strong Economy
- Can Be Financially Rewarding
- Protects Environment
- Reduces Pollution
- Reduces Global Warming
- Creates green jobs
DID YOU KNOW THAT ?
- Recycled paper only creates 25% of the pollution that new paper creates when making it into new products.
- A glass bottle will take 40,000 years to decompose if it’s not recycled.
- Recycling a single aluminium can will save enough electricity to power a TV for three hours.
- Recycling a single glass bottle will save enough energy to power a light bulb for four hours.
- When a newspaper is recycled, it takes only seven days from to become a brand new newspaper!
- Approximately 88 percent of the energy is saved when plastic is made from plastic rather than from the raw materials of gas and oil.
- Aluminium cans can actually be recycled and put back onto the shelf at your local grocery store in just about 2 months
