Every year 1,704 pounds of trash is produced by an average American. All that trash ends up in a landfill for many years until it decomposes. Reducing the amount of trash that ends up in landfills starts with recycling. Our clothing recycling Omaha team is here to share the importance of recycling and what items should be recycled. 

WHY SHOULD YOU BE RECYCLING?

Recycling is the process of taking materials and turning them into new products. This process is beneficial for the environment because it helps reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills. About 139.6 million tons of waste is thrown into landfills in the U.S., and a third of that waste is recyclable.

Aside from reducing waste, recycling helps reduce the use of natural resources. It helps conserve our resources such as trees, water, minerals and fossil fuels. By reducing the need to make new items, we can reduce the destruction of ecosystems through mining, deforestation and drilling. 

ITEMS THAT ARE RECYCLABLE 

The first step to start recycling is learning what items are recyclable. This will help you keep in mind which items you should be collecting instead of tossing out. One thing to note is that although items are recyclable, you cannot place them all in your recycling bins. Some items are acceptable for curbside recycling pickups by your city, while others require you to take them to recycling or clothing recycling Omaha centers. Here is a list of items that you probably didn’t know you could recycle. 

Glass 

Yes, your glass bottles and jars can be recycled. These items cannot be picked up by the curbside recycling service. They need to be taken to a recycling center. Taking the time to collect your glass items to be recycled helps save energy and waste. Recycling glass reduces air pollution by 20 percent and water pollution by 50 percent. 

Batteries

Did you know that tossing a battery out is harmful to the ecosystem? Most rechargeable batteries are recyclable that includes the one in your laptop, car and phones. Throwing your batteries in the trash is dangerous for the environment because they contain toxic metals that pollute the water. Instead, recycle them by taking them to a recycling center, retail store with Call2Recycle or local auto dealer. 

Fluorescent light bulbs

Fluorescent light bulbs are harmful to the environment because they contain mercury. Tossing these light bulbs in the trash will cause them to break and release small beads of mercury. These items can be taken to recycling centers or retail stores like Ikea, where they have a recycling program. 

Appliances

Your house is full of appliances. If these appliances still work but you want to get rid of them, consider donating them to a thrift store or sell them. However, if these items do not work anymore, recycle them. Tossing out old appliances to landfills is harmful to the environment because they contain dangerous chemicals that poison the water or release toxic gases. 

Clothes

You can recycle any clothing, household textile and commercial linen as long as they are dry and free of mildew or any solvent-type liquid. To recycle your old or unwanted clothing, you need to take it to a thrift store. These clothing recycling Omaha stores will sort them, sell the good clothes or recycle them. This process helps reduce textile waste. 

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A CLOTHING RECYCLE OMAHA CENTER? 

Visit Thrift World. We take item clothing donations at any of our locations or donation bins. We recycle or export any unsold clothes to developing countries. Together, we can help reduce textile waste. For more information, check out our website.