Make Your Own Recycling Bins

Make Your Own Recycling Bins by Ken Crawford

Living in an apartment presents many challenges to those of us that want to live greener more environmentally friendly lives. One of the first things you realize is that there is no curbside recycling program. So what do you do as a responsible person? Well, you have got to get creative and make your own recycling bins and take the time to deliver the recyclables to a facility.

The key to having a successful personal recycling program is the ease of access.  I can honestly say that if I have to go out of my back door to recycle every item I use, recycling is not going to get done. With that in mind you must locate an area in the house where recycling will become second nature. For us that place is in the kitchen. The kitchen is where we cook, do our clothes and where we have the trash can.

Now we have a small kitchen. So if we can have a decent recycling program so can you. I had to figure out where in the kitchen we could place a couple of bins. The only choice we have is either beside the refrigerator or on top of the washer and dryer. Knowing that my wife would not appreciate bins on top of the laundry equipment, they were going to have to go beside the refrigerator. Now that I knew where to place them, it was time to find out what size we could use.

The bins will have to sit beside the refrigerator but still be narrow enough that the back door can open. Off we went to Lowe’s right up the street from our apartment. We purchased two plastic containers with the hinged lids. Each container was about $7. They are not huge containers but they are equivalent to the size the County uses for curbside pick-up. We currently have one set aside for plastic and one for paper. Now we have the bins and they are strategically located. The only other thing we need to know is where to take the bins when they are full.

I want to recycle but I do not want to burn up gas to go across town to do it. Especially when the neighborhood right across the street is getting curbside service. The simplest way to find out where to take your recycling is by going to Earth911. Just go to their website, type in your zip code, hit search and you will get back a list of places that take recycling. The list includes the address and phone numbers. Click on one of the places closest to you and the site will show you what recyclables  the place takes as well as hours of operation.

It is not difficult to make your own recycling bins and start your personal recycling program. We have cut down our household waste that goes into the dumpster by 50% since July. We do not even purchase trash bags anymore. All of our trash is currently collected in the plastic bags from the grocery store. This will stop as well when we start implementing our next household project…reusable canvas produce and grocery bags.

Ken Crawford publishes The Green Apartment Blog articled focused on simple, green and vegetarian living on a smaller scale. Many people today find themselves living in apartments, condos and townhouses. Living green and sustainable can be accomplished by those of us living in the city.