As you will see below, the majority of everyday items used during road travels are non-recyclable. Although it is impossible to completely avoid plastic packaging, making small adjustments, such as replacing single-use items such as coffee cups, utensils, water bottles, and straws with reusables, can help. Additionally, collecting your trash in a reusable car trash bag and properly disposing of it in a garbage bin at a gas station, your residential trash bin, or a curbside recycling bin can make a significant difference.

By ensuring the proper handling and disposal of trash generated during our commutes, we contribute to maintaining a clean and sustainable environment.

Remember, any plastic items that are not recyclable end up piling up on landfills or being burned in incineration facilities, causing serious damage to Air, Soil, and Water quality.

  1. Always make sure that recyclable items are empty and as clean as possible of drinks or food residue before being discarded in a recycling bin.

  2. Know your recycling codes; they are mostly placed on the bottom of the items These codes are often shown as a number enclosed in an arrow triangle.

  3. To prevent impeding the sorting process, refrain from putting any and all types of plastic in the recycling bins.

  4. Recycling codes 1 and 2 (clear plastic water bottles and soft drink bottles) are most commonly recycled and are safe to place in recycling bins.

  5. Codes 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 (plastic utensils, coffee cup lids, colored plastic cups, cling wrap, food trays, black plastic food containers) are rarely recycled, so it's best to check with your local recycling program, as some may accept codes 3 and 5 (ice-cream tubs, coffee cups, lids, and some fast food containers)

  6. Avoid using thin grocery plastic bags (code 4) and Styrofoam cups and containers (code 6), as these have a negative environmental impact and limited recycling rates.

  7. If there is no recycling code on an item, don't place it in a recycle bin! Explore the seven plastic recycle codes

  8. Papers and wraps with shiny or laminated coatings, including candy wrappers, sandwich bags, and chips bags, are not to be placed in a recyclable bin but can be collected at some stores near you. Find a drop-off location in your area at BAGANDFILMRECYCLING

  9. Most glass bottles can be recycled at collection locations. however lids and caps are not always accepted in residential recycling bins, check first with your local recycling program.

  10. Soda cans can be placed in recycling bins; however, metal lids and caps are not always accepted in residential recycling bins. Check out EARTH911 to find a metal recycling center near you, if needed!

Unsure about how to properly dispose of the materials you frequently use? Don't fret, simply refer to your local recycling guidelines or connect with the waste management facility in your community for assistance.

You may also want to visit TERRACYCLE to see if your favorite brands are listed in their global packaging recycling program. It's easy and free; simply look up the brand name, sign up, print the free shipping label, and ship the items out! You'd be surprised at how many major international brands are already participating in the Terracycle program.

By making tiny but significant efforts like cleaning recyclable items, properly sorting the trash, avoiding non-recyclable products and using reusable items more often, we can reduce pollution, and improve the Planet's health for future generations. It is important to remember that ethical disposal and recycling techniques require everyone's effort. Let us all do our part to make the World a more sustainable place.