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There is a safe way to dispose of aerosol cans for metal recycling through recycling or household hazardous waste programs where available.

Have you ever wondered what to do with spray cans after they're done? It can be confusing how to dispose of spray paint cans, spray deodorant, shaving cream cans, and disinfectant spray cans. There are specific procedures to make sure they can be disposed of or recycled safely. It also depends on who does the recycling. Is it your local recycling program or your household hazardous waste program, and does either of them have the capability to handle these types of products?

Aerosol cans are made with either aluminum or steel, which makes them suitable as a recyclable material. The fact that they contain pressurized air, and sometimes harmful materials makes the preparation for aerosol can recycling critical. Here are some of the common mistakes to avoid.

1. Leaving the cap on

Most aerosol cans come with a plastic cap while the can itself is metal. Obviously metal and plastic don't get recycled in the same way, so it is important to remove the plastic cap from the metal can. Most (but not all) of these plastic caps are made from polypropylene which is a #5 plastic. Check to see if your local program accepts #5 plastics before placing the cap in your recycling bin.

If you are using a spray can that includes a small plastic straw for targeted spray, please discard the straw into the trash.

2. Not making sure the can is empty 

If there is any substance still left in an aerosol can, it must be discarded through your household hazardous waste program, no matter what. Aerosol cans that still have substances left inside are still pressurized, meaning they could explode or combust if punctured or crushed, making a dangerous situation for a trash compactor or recycling sorter.

Keep waste and recycling workers safe and make sure aerosol cans are completely empty if your local waste or recycling program accepts them. To ensure you've completely emptied a can, hold it close to a rag and spray until nothing else comes out. This is a great way to double check that it is empty.

3. Trying to depressurize the can yourself

Even if the can is empty, never try to puncture, crush, or flatten the can yourself. This could be very dangerous if pressure is still in the can. There are also government regulations in place for the safe depressurization of cans due to the risk of harmful chemicals or air pollutants. There are many ways in which a recycling facility or household hazardous waste program can safely depressurize the can and recycle it properly. They never would require residents to depressurize a can themselves.

4. Attempting to remove the nozzle

Even though the nozzle is plastic and may have some other materials, such as rubber, attached to the spray mechanism, you should not remove it. If you were thinking it should be separated to go with plastic recycling, that wouldn't work anyway because the piece is too small to make it through a recycling sorter anyway.

If you try to remove the nozzle yourself, you are unnecessarily putting yourself at risk of the can exploding. Removing the nozzle may depressurize the can and cause it to burst. Once again, household hazard waste programs are able to depressurize aerosol cans safely for proper recycling.

5. Assuming which bin it goes in

This is the most confusing part, and the part you need to know. Every location is different, so it is important you look up exactly where your municipality accepts aerosol cans. There is one clear rule though in any location, if there is still any substance left in the can, you must dispose of it through your household hazardous waste program.

When the aerosol can is empty, it could be accepted in your recycling program, your household hazardous waste program, or your municipality may ask you to dispose of it in the trash. Don't assume it will go one place or the other. You have to look it up. A great way to look it up is with the What Goes Where search tool on the Recycle Coach app on your mobile phone. Otherwise, you should contact your local household hazardous waste program to find out where you should bring your aerosol cans for safe recycling or disposal.

There are so many products that use lithium-ion on batteries on the market today: vape pens, phones, laptops, power tools, and much more. Are there any battery recycling programs? Are batteries hazardous waste? Is it ok to throw batteries in the garbage? As a consumer, it is important to know how to dispose of lithium-ion batteries properly.

Lithium-ion batteries: disposal hazard

There has been a 26% increase in fires at waste facilities across the U.S. and Canada in recent years. It is estimated that 40% of waste and recycling facilities in the U.S. have been affected by fires in a given year.

These fires can often devastate the system of recycling goods even close down an entire recycling plant for good. It is often thought that hazardous waste such as lithium-ion batteries can be the cause. So how do we dispose of lithium-ion batteries safely?

Are lithium-ion batteries actually hazardous waste?

Absolutely! Lithium-Ion Batteries are definitely hazardous waste. After a battery is no longer usable because it seems that it will no longer hold a charge, it's time to get rid of it.

But when we might believe a battery is dead because it stops working, there is actually still plenty of hazardous material left behind.

For example a lithium-ion battery can still hold 80% of it's thermal capacity after it is done. So things like phone batteries and even small vape pen batteries, are potentially ready to combust.

Not only do batteries carry an immediate risk of fire if disposed improperly, they also hold many long term risks because they carry many toxic substances that when crushed will leak into the ground and contaminate our water.

What happens if you throw away lithium-ion batteries?

Every battery carries the potential of fire or combustion. Once items are put on the truck, no matter what it is, it is most likely about to be compacted.

Imagine a few batteries being smashed and leaking fluid. How harmful could a tiny bit of battery acid be, you say? Well, when the insulation layer of a lithium-ion battery is damaged, it can cause the temperature to increase drastically to around 500C (932F) which brings a high risk of fire or explosion. Imagine that combination mixing next to items that could have oil or some other fire igniter.

Throwing lithium-ion batteries in the garbage or recycling bins can be like a candle next to a curtain. So it is important to know how we can dispose of lithium-ion batteries.

What can we do about the hazards of lithium-ion battery disposal?

Some cities have taken to spreading the word about this hazard. Many electronics stores offer battery return programs, so it is worth the trouble to ask when you purchase anything with a lithium-ion battery.

It's good to know there is hope in recycling batteries! But don't just drop them in your home recycling bin! There are many drop off programs to recycle your batteries depending on your location.

It's also nice to hear battery drop off bins can be used as a school or community fundraiser in some areas!

There are so many types of batteries that it is difficult to know how to properly dispose of lithium-ion batteries. One thing is for sure, be cautious and always double check!

Find a drop-off center for your lithium-ion batteries

Batteries are considered household hazardous waste and should be disposed of properly at a hazardous waste facility drop off if you do not have any store return programs or community battery recycling programs near you.

Call2Recycle is a battery recycling program with drop-off centers across North America. All you have to do is gather up your batteries and cell phones, bag them or tape the terminals, then drop them off. Find a location in the US or Canada.

Check the What Goes Where search engine or download the Recycle Coach app to see exactly what to do in your area with every type of battery.

Recycling paper towels might seem like common sense, but they are not the same as recycling paper. This guide will explain to you exactly why you shouldn't put paper towels in your recycling, some great alternatives to paper towels, and what to do with the paper towels you do need to use.

Are paper towels bad for the environment?

In short, yes, the manufacturing of paper towels is a big problem for the environment. The production of paper products, including paper towels, is the third largest source of industrial pollution in North America, and the industry is the fifth largest energy consumer worldwide.

The Word Green Organization in Hong Kong estimates that 17 trees must be cut down and 20,000 gallons of water are polluted in the production of just one ton of paper towels. To put that in perspective, the EPA estimates that approximately 3,790 thousand tons of soft paper product waste, such as tissue paper and paper towels, was generated in the US alone in 2018. That figure has been steadily increasing year after year. Unfortunately, the majority of that ends up in landfill.

But aren't paper towels biodegradable?

Yes, of course. They break down since they are made from natural wood pulp, but that process is not ideal when paper towel waste is sealed in plastic bags that don't biodegrade in a landfill. The right conditions to break down paper towels and biodegrade them back into the soil would not be accessible inside a garbage bag.

Do not put paper towels in your recycling bin

The biggest reason paper towels are not accepted in recycling is that if they've served their purpose of cleaning something up, that means they are soiled. Whatever they've been used to clean has made them dirty and a potential contaminant to any other clean recyclable materials. Always avoid recycling used paper towels in your general recycling bin.

Additionally, paper towels are not recycled because they are made from fibers that are too small to be useful during the recycling process. There are also resins and adhesives used in the production of paper towels that are not ideal for recycling. For these reasons, even clean paper towels should not go in your normal recycling.

Use washable towels as an alternative

Using regular dish towels and rags is an easy alternative to disposable paper towels. The fact that fabric towels can be washed again and again makes them the most suitable alternative.

There are also many eco-friendly alternatives on the market such as Swedish dishcloths. One of these cloths replaces approximately 17 paper towel rolls. They are also biodegradable and of course one costs much less than 17 rolls of paper towels!

Just like the Swedish dishcloths, there are a ton of paper towel alternatives on the market that tout their effectiveness and earth-friendly attributes. If you can reuse it many times instead of disposing after one use, they are a good alternative to single-use paper towels.

If needed, buy recycled paper towels

Some occasions may call for paper towels. Since you can't recycle paper towels, try buying paper towels that are made from recycled materials. There are several companies with recycled paper towels on the market now. It will say on the packaging if they use recycled material.

Although these are still getting used as single-use items, at least the production of these paper towels uses less energy and less water because they are not extracting virgin materials, but rather recycling materials. Buying anything that uses recycled materials gives an overall lower carbon emission rate than if the materials need to be harvested.

The only right way for recycling paper towels

If your municipality has an organics program, it most likely accepts used paper towels that do not have grease, oil, or cleaning solutions on them. Although you should not put used paper towels in your regular recycling bin, recycling paper towels in your organics bin is a great alternative. Since the fibers are broken down so small and originate as all natural wood fibers, they can be safely disposed of in organics.

Can paper towels be composted?

Yes! If you don't have an organics program in your area, your own compost will also work. Again, the same rule applies that you should not add any used paper towels that have grease, oils, fats, or chemicals on them to your compost. These materials will not break down properly with your all-natural compost. Otherwise, paper towels are fine to add. Of course, it's even better if you're buying paper towels made from recycled materials, as mentioned above.

If you don't compost, you can still compost

Composting is a wonderful method for recycling paper towels with your organic waste and keeping it out of landfills, but realistically, not everyone will start their own compost. In that case, if you have paper towels that you'd like to keep out of the garbage, but don't have a compost, try ripping them up into little bits and scattering them in with your gardening. If you mix them into the dirt, they will decompose naturally.

Don't forget to recycle the roll

The cardboard tube inside of your paper towels is a completely different material and 100% recyclable. Make sure you add that to your normal recycling bin.

Recycling paper towels can lead to recycling contamination. So, if you have any questions about how your local program handles paper towels, please check on the Recycle Coach mobile app by searching the 'What Goes Where' search tool. Can you think of any other ways to use soiled paper towels and avoid waste? Let us know below.

It feels impossible to go plastic free nowadays, but even if we can't solve the problem overnight, there are plenty of ways to help reduce plastic waste in your home to start making a positive impact on our environment.

What happens to all that plastic after we're done with it? We hope it gets recycled, but not all of it does. Only about 9% of all plastic produced gets recycled, which means the rest is sent to landfills or ends up as litter - all too often ending up in our oceans.

While it would be wonderful if we could snap our fingers and fix the problem, it's not that simple. What we can control and change in our own households is a first step that can get the ball rolling for a positive change in how plastic is disposed of.

Sweeping changes in your household can feel overwhelming and sometimes impossible, so it's always good to take it one step at a time. Switch one thing, then when you feel comfortable, switch another. Make your way through the list as it works for your lifestyle and budget.

Making a small change to reduce plastic waste can make a big difference over time!

Reduce your personal care plastic waste

1. Switch to shampoo bars

Plastic shampoo bottles are often overlooked as a recyclable item. In fact only 1 in 5 people recycle any bathroom items on a regular basis. That means we are creating a lot of unnecessary waste because we are more focused on recycling items in the kitchen.

Plastic shampoo bottles are almost always recyclable, but make sure they are empty and clean, not lined with shampoo residue which can cause contamination.

Instead of falling into the trap of forgetting to recycle that bottle, the better solution is to take your plastic waste out of the equation. Shampoo bars are gaining a lot of popularity, so there are a ton of great options out there. They're essentially a bar of soap for your hair and have a great lather without using as much product.

2. Go with metal razors

This is an easy fix with an old-school solution. Instead of adding to plastic waste, you can stop buying reusable and buy a metal razor that will possibly last you a lifetime. Yes, it's expensive to buy a durable, old-school metal razor initially, but think of how much you are spending on plastic disposable razors that you buy repeatedly.

3. Rethink your deodorant

Deodorant containers are a tricky item for recycling. They look like many other recyclable plastic items, but they aren't recyclable at all. Most areas won't accept them because they often contain more than one type of plastic. Plastics need to be recycled with the same type of plastic, so mixed plastic items that can't be separated on the conveyor belt, get sent to the landfill.

Make sure the actual deodorant is plastic-free as well, and make a change by buying deodorant that comes in biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable packaging. Many of these options consist of cardboard sticks, glass jars, or even just deodorant bars.

4. Choose wooden combs

This is such an easy way to reduce plastic waste since you can usually find a natural hairbrush at most locations that sell them. Combs may be a little harder to find, but they are out there at most beauty stores. In addition to doing something good for the environment, wooden combs are more beneficial for your hair's health. Plus, they reduce static while brushing!

5. Change your menstrual routine

Sanitary pads are often either made of plastic or lined with plastic. On top of that, they come in individually wrapped plastic packaging. The US alone discards about 12 billion pads per year. That's a lot of plastic! In recent years, there have been many products emerging that can help reduce plastic waste for your menstrual routine such as period underwear, reusable fabric pads, and menstrual cups.

6. Swap out your plastic toothbrush

It is estimated that about 1 billion toothbrushes are thrown away each year in the US alone. That is a lot of plastic. It is easy enough reduce this plastic waste by switching over to a bamboo toothbrush. Untreated bamboo is compostable, but even if you don't compost or have an organics program that accepts bamboo, the time it takes to decompose in a landfill is significantly lower.

One thing to watch for when choosing a bamboo toothbrush is the bristles. Some will still use plastic and even offer replacement bristles, so you don't have to replace the entire brush. Others will use natural fibers so the whole brush is disposed of once you're done. There are many options out there, you just need to choose what works best for your lifestyle.

7. Switch to silk dental floss

This is a plastic item that often gets overlooked. Due to its small size, it's easy to disregard it as a plastic waste problem, yet it still counts as plastic waste. This is fixable by switching over to silk dental floss. Most of these alternatives also provide plastic-free packaging, which is a double plastic waste reduction!

8. Use dry toothpaste

Plastic tubes of toothpaste are not recyclable and even if they were, it would be inconvenient to make sure they are empty and clean. You can reduce this plastic waste by switching to toothpaste tablets or powder. It's the same clean feeling on your teeth, but the companies making this type of product are making it with a more eco-friendly and often healthier, all-natural materials.

9. Chew your mouthwash

You can double down on reducing your plastic waste for your oral hygiene and use chewable mouthwash. Read the label on those because you can't swallow most of them. These products can help get rid of the plastic packaging waste in your home.

Reduce plastics in your cleaning products

10. Use natural sponges

We need to wash our dishes, but those go-to sponges are made from plastic. After you use them for a week or so, they get yucky looking and smelly, so of course you need to throw them out. They are not recyclable, so to the landfill they go. If every household is throwing away their plastic kitchen sponge every week, think of how much plastic waste that creates from one item!

The best solution is to change what you use for a sponge to reduce your plastic waste. If you want something like a classic kitchen sponge with a scouring pad on one side, walnut or coconut sponges are great options. But there are plenty of washable or biodegradable replacements, like natural sponges, regular dishrags, or Swedish dishtowels.   

11. Refill with soap tablets

This is a plastic waste reducing switch that is so simple and convenient to make. Instead of buying new soap dispensers, or even soap refill bottles, there are now dissolvable tablets that you can drop in water to fill you soap dispenser. Think of how much easier it would be to fill your dispenser up with water, dropping in a tablet, then shaking!

Some companies make tablets for your cleaning supplies too! Another easy way to clean around the house would be to make your own cleaning solutions from all natural ingredients.

12. Switch to laundry strips or powder

Raise your hand if you hate lugging around heavy laundry detergent containers! There's nothing lighter than laundry strips. They are already portioned out for you, and you just throw them in to replace the detergent. Then instead of a big plastic container that you don't want to bother rinsing out (because it needs to be empty and clean), you have a small recyclable cardboard envelope. Another option is laundry powder; the added bonus to this is that it doesn't contain polyvinyl alcohol, a dissolvable plastic.

13. Use dryer balls

You can get wool dryer balls everywhere now. Not only do they dry your clothes faster so you can use less energy on your drying time, they also replace your fabric softener. Just another big clunky plastic container you don't need to carry to the laundry!  

They last a long time, so you rarely must replace them, especially compared to the many plastic bottles or plastic dryer sheets you would normally be using. And if you want something scented, you can drop some essential oils on the ball which will freshen up the load nicely.

14. Get detergent in a box

Dishwashing has become an extremely plastic heavy market. Not only are most options coming out of a big plastic bottle - those dissolvable pods are made with plastic too. There are many ways plastic is making its way into our water, but this one seems obvious, and we do it on purpose.

There are so many dangers to our ecosystem when microplastics end up in our water, and subsequently the food chain. Detergent pods (including both dishwasher and laundry pods) are not an eco-friendly solution just because you aren't left with the packaging to deal with. Switching to a cardboard container makes for a much easier recyclable packaging option that reduces plastic waste.

15. Replace disposable dusters

Swiffer was a game changing cleaning invention, I'll admit. When it came on the market, it picked up so much more dust and dirt than regular sweeping. But now, there are plenty of microfiber cloths that do the same type of cleaning and are washable instead of disposable.

Buying a few of these is less expensive than buying disposable dusting cloths and you won't be throwing those disposable polyester cleaners away. Even if you don't switch to microfiber cloths and you use a regular old rag on your sweeper, you will reduce a bunch of polyester plastic waste in your home.

16. Avoid wet wipes

Wet wipes are a sneaky plastic. They look like they are maybe just like a paper towel or cloth even, but they are made from a mix of plastics. On top of that, so many of them say they are flushable, but there is no plumber in the world that will say it is a good idea to flush them. They cause a huge clogging problem when flushed. In addition, flushing these plastic items adds plastics to our groundwater.

Switching from wet wipes and disinfectant wipes around the house to towels, rags, and cleaning solution is a tiny adjustment, but a doable one. The harder switch would be if you have kids, and you use wet wipes while changing. There are many washable wipes on the market for diapers. And if you need them wet, you could buy or make some baby butt spray for clean up!

Cut down your dining plastic waste

17. DIY your water filtration

This plastic waste reducer is a little bit DIY, so may not be for everyone. You can replace your plastic Britta and disposable filters with either a Bichotan charcoal stick, or by using a Terracotta pot system.

Directions for these methods are here.

If this one is a bit too much to handle, you could buy a filtration system that uses less plastic, but they can be quite expensive. Companies like ZeroWater, Berkey Filters, and Soma are trying to lessen the plastic waste with their water filtration systems.

18. Invest in a reusable water bottle

Disposable plastic water bottles have become the norm for the last 30 years or so. It's hard to remember that we used to drink out of glasses. Now, more than one million plastic bottles are used per day worldwide! And only a small fraction of them get recycled.

The easiest solution to reduce plastic waste in your home and on the go is to carry a reusable water bottle with you. Plastic bottles are one of the leading contributors of microplastics in our water supply. If you're interested in stepping up your game in the fight against plastic in our water, you might even think about participating in a coastal cleanup program.

19. Bring your travel mug

Similarly to the reusable water bottle solution above, a reusable travel mug for your coffee would solve a huge problem with disposable plastic waste from coffee shops. Disposable coffee cups pose a big problem because they look like they are paper, but they are also lined with plastic.

This means most locations won't accept them in their recycling program. Plus, there are the plastic lids to think of too. Travel mugs are a quick and easy solution.

20. Avoid straws

This one seems obvious as we see the straw bans sweeping the country. The US has been disposing of half a billion straws a day for quite some time now. There are many plastic straw alternatives out there now and many fast food establishments have switched to paper straws as a disposable alternative.

21. Bring reusable containers and cutlery to work

Although Tupperware is plastic, it is reused over and over, so the plastic waste from these is significantly reduced when reused. It's even better when you can reuse containers that other food came in - for example, put your lunch in the old butter container and your salad in the old sour cream container.

Plastic cutlery is not usually accepted for recycling, so a great idea is to keep a fork, spoon, and knife in your desk drawer to reuse every day. That can help you reduce a lot of plastic waste at work.  

22. Ask for no extras with take-out

Take out can come with a ton of packaging. If you get black plastic containers, those aren't recyclable, so you should reuse them or see if there's a food pantry that may take them as a donation. Even if you get take out in cardboard containers, they run the risk of having grease and food absorbed into them which is a recycling contaminant. 

There's one simple way to lessen the takeout waste issue. Ask for no condiment packets and no plastic cutlery. That will mean less plastic waste from your meal.

23. Use beeswax wraps

Plastic wrap is one of those plastics that you might not even think about because it is so ingrained in how we store our food. A great plastic free alternative is to use beeswax wraps to cover bowls or store vegetables in the fridge. They come in different sizes and can last around a year with proper care. They are also usually compostable and have super cute designs!

24. Choose a sustainable sandwich bag

You can wash and reuse plastic sandwich bags the same way as Tupperware, but most people just throw them away after one use. If you're looking for a snack pouch, there are great washable cloth snack bags that can cut out your bag waste. On the other hand, if you're looking to keep something fresh, silicone bags are a great sustainable alternative. There are even freezer bag options out there.

25. Buy wine with natural corks

Cork is an amazing renewable natural resource. There is no need to cut down trees to harvest it. While it is not generally accepted as a recyclable item in curbside programs, there are plenty of cork recycling initiates, such as ReCork, that have come up with amazing products with recycled cork.  

Really there's no need for wine bottles to use plastic corks to add to plastic waste. If you're not sure which wines use real or plastic cork, there's an app for that. Otherwise, you can always choose a wine with a screw off top instead.

Buy more sustainable products

26. Bring your own bags

Plastic shopping bags cause a ton of problems in the world of recycling. They can be brought to drop-off locations for recycling at most grocery stores, but not in your curbside pick-up. Now there are also bag bans popping up all over the place. The best thing to do would be to get used to this inevitable change now, and carry reusable bags to the grocery store to reduce plastic waste.

27. Seek out plastic-free packaging

It's hard to be a plastic-free consumer since it's so common in our products now. But as more companies embrace how detrimental plastic packaging is to our environment, and as natural material options have become a more affordable option for businesses, we are starting to see a shift back to plastic-free materials.

I think as the next few years pass and more innovations in packaging come to light, we will see a positive change of companies moving to plastic-free packaging. If we as consumers start giving our money to companies that avoid plastic, other companies will continue to follow.

28. Wear natural materials

Textile waste is a major issue as clothing is less durable and more disposable. Worldwide, approximately 92 million tons of textile waste is generated per year. Of course, not all of that is plastic, but I bet if you look at the label on your clothing, very few items will be made of 100% natural materials. Not to mention the thread and actual labels often have plastic in them too.

When buying clothing, try to buy natural materials whenever possible to reduce the amount of polyester plastic ends up in a landfill down the line.

29. Switch to cloth diapers

Disposable diapers currently make up 30% of non-biodegradable waste in landfills. Switching from disposable to cloth diapers would help make a huge impact in reducing plastic waste in our landfills.

Cloth diapers are a bit overwhelming to new parents, but once you get the hang of it, it will be no problem at all. A bonus is that the upfront cost of cloth diapers will still be much lower than the overall cost you'll spend for disposables. If you don't want to deal with cleaning them, there are now many pick up services that will wash them for you.

30. Gift natural baby toys

Wooden and natural baby toys are a great way to avoid buying plastic. Babies put all toys in their mouths, so a wooden toy instead of a plastic one is a healthier option. The next baby shower you buy for, buy natural.

Try your best

Phew, that's a lot of plastic waste to think about! It's best to take things one at a time to not become overwhelmed. This list will help you recognize where you can have the most eco-impact on your next shopping trip. Keep this list in mind when making choices for your future purchases and you can reduce the plastic waste in your home significantly.

Finding different uses for old yoga mats is a great way to get around the problem that yoga mats are generally not accepted for recycling at most recycling facilities. Below you'll find many ways to upcycle or reuse those old yoga mats instead of throwing them away. First, let's find out why yoga mats cause such a problem in the waste and recycling stream.

Why are old yoga mats a problem?

Yoga mats are made from a plastic called PVC. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastic is so versatile you can find it in flooring, shower curtains, pipes, some shampoo and cosmetic bottles, garden hoses, and it's even in packaging.

This type of plastic is very commonly used, yet it is arguably the most dangerous plastic for the environment. The two main components used in making PVC are dioxins and chlorine.

Chlorine combined with other chemicals is one of the toxins that contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer through Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). While dioxins are a toxic environmental pollutant that affects human health.

Since PVC production and products negatively impact the environment and overall health, it is safe to say that the disposal of this type of plastic also comes at a cost. PVC does not biodegrade; it will stay in landfills indefinitely.

As for recycling, there are currently two methods to recycle this type of plastic, neither of which are widely used due to the cost, the difficulty in separating chemicals within the plastics, and the low output of recoverable materials.

Recycling facilities do not accept PVC plastic like the kind found in old yoga mats. There is hope that with the many advancing technological developments in the field of plastic recycling, someday in the not-too-distant-future, PVC will gain mainstream recyclability.

Ways to keep old yoga mats out of landfills

Here are some helpful new uses for old yoga mats in your own home. Always make sure to wash, sanitize, then dry your yoga mat before repurposing it or donating it.

1. Make use of the cushion

The easiest upcycling is when you don't have to do much of anything to reuse something. Because of their cushion, the uses for old yoga mats are nearly infinite.

• Use it as a soft mat for your feet when in front of your laundry machines or kitchen sink.
• Lay it down as a non-slip mat under your rug.
• Place it in your car windshield as a sun visor to keep the heat out.
• Keep it under a puzzle you're working on to roll the puzzle up for storage.
• Put it under your sleeping bag while camping for some extra cushion or at the beach under your towel to sunbathe.

2. Cut it up

This yoga mat trick requires a low skill level. Just a few snips for size and shape and you can have a completely new use for that old yoga mat.

• Carve it to fit as floor mats for your car.
• Use a large rectangle and frame it (with no glass) to create a cork board.
• Section it into puzzle pieces to create a giant floor puzzle for your toddler.
• Slice out a crescent shape and add an elastic band to make a sun visor.
• Cut a square to fit on top of your refrigerator so that items you store up there don't slide off.

3. Decorate it

Here's where a bit of skill is needed depending on what you're going for. If you want to keep it simple you can, but you can also get very detailed with your decorations. Painting, embellishing, stenciling, glittering, you name it! You can really get creative with these uses for old yoga mats.

• Spray-paint and stencil a new welcome mat from your old yoga mat.
• Create kitchen art by cutting out shapes such as a rooster, a teapot, a coffee cup, a giant fork/knife/spoon set, etc. then paint them a solid color and stencil a pattern over part or all of the shape.
• Carve, paint, and glitter an intricate mandala to hang on your front door.
• Cut your used yoga mat long-ways into thin strips until you reach 2 before the end. String beads on the strips then hang it in a door frame for a funky room entry.
• Cut out Happy Birthday letters, paint and decorate them, then string them together to create a birthday banner (add the person's name too!).

4. Build something new

Sometimes all you need is to cut a few shapes then use a bit of glue and you have a whole new item. Most of these ideas are about layering to get a bigger padded object. A hot glue gun will work for most yoga mats.

• Add cushion to your kitchen chairs by cutting out 3-5 layers of the old yoga mat to the shape of the seat of the chair. Glue one layer at a time to your chair. Use a box cutter or blade to shave a bit of a rounded edge around the top of the stack. Cut fabric to wrap around the padding then use a staple gun to tightly attach the fabric to the underside of the seat of the chair.
• Cut 5 or more rectangles about 18x8" then glue them together one layer at a time to create a kneepad for gardening.
• Make a reusable grocery bag by cutting two 15x15" squares, three 15x6" rectangles, and two 26x2" strips. Glue rectangles to three sides of one of the squares as if you were constructing a box, then glue the other square to the corresponding sides of the rectangles making sure to glue all seams. Glue strip to the open side of the bag as straps, then repeat for the other strap. Secure all seams with yarn or string using a blanket stitch and a leather needle.
• Cut out two rectangles that are about an inch wider than your laptop then glue three edges together to create a new laptop protective sleeve. While not necessary, a blanket stitch would look nice for this as well.
• Make a picture frame by cutting out two rectangles larger than a photo, one for the backing and one for the frame. On the frame layer, cut out the dimensions to hold the picture, then glue three edges of the backing layer and adhere the frame layer so that you can slide a photo into the frame. You can cut out additional decorative shapes or letters and glue them on the outside of the frame.

5. Donate it

Someone else may have a great use for your old yoga mat in mind! There are so many wonderful places you can consider donating these mats to. Just call ahead to see if they are in need of old yoga mats first.

• Give it to animal shelters for pet beds.
• Donate yoga mats to homeless shelters as sleeping pads.
• See if your local school will take it for their gym classes.
• Check with nursing homes to see if the residents could use it for exercise.
• Bring it wherever you normally donate your used home goods (Salvation Army, Goodwill, thrift stores)

Buy a different kind of yoga mat

Now that we have shown you ways to keep that PVC plastic yoga mat out of the landfill, let us give you an idea of what to look for when you buy your new one. Some companies currently have yoga mats on the market made of more sustainable materials. Keep your eyes out for mats made from natural cork, natural rubber, or recycled materials.

What other uses for old yoga mats have you tried?

Whether it's for a birthday, housewarming, graduation, or wedding, flowers always make an amazing gift. But what do you do with the flower bouquets after the event is over? Do you just dispose of them? Can you place them in jars for decoration? We have a few ways you can reuse, repurpose, or recycle your stunning blooms from petals to wrappers, especially if gently used.

Petals 

The petals are, of course, what makes a spring flower bouquet most beautiful. It is not unusual to feel guilty when throwing them away. The colorful and aromatically captivating petals will probably be screaming at you to hold on to them longer.

Instead of tossing them in the garbage after an event, there are a few creative ways to recycle used flower petals. Some of these include the following:

Drying them for use in décor

Drying is one of the best ways to recycle flowers  that you want to hold on to. Well, decorating with dried flowers is not rocket science. Simply dry the petals with the stems still intact and hang them in distinct areas of your home to serve as wall décor.

For the best effect, be sure to place them with the petals facing down. Also, dried foliage can be delicate, and could break when disturbed, so make sure to choose the best spot to avoid this.

Make potpourri

Used flower petals can be a great source of perfume, especially for your home. When the wedding or other occasion is over, pick up the best-scented flower petals and turn them into potpourri. So how do you make potpourri exactly? 

You will find dozens of potpourri recipes out there, but it simply involves mixing flower petals and other ingredients/spices, then heating them in an oven to create a fragrant blend. Most people use spices like cinnamon, thyme, and rosemary, as well as orange and lemon. Essential oils and water are also commonly included in the mixture to add flavor and consistency.

Consider composting 

If you have a green thumb or you're a fan of gardening, there's no better way to recycle florals than composting them. These colorful blooms still have a lot of nutrients despite their life having been cut short .

If you're wondering how, you may find this household guide to composting worth reading. Just isolate the petals, cut them up, and add them into your in-ground compost bin. There are rich sources of carbon and nitrogen in compost depending on how decomposed the flowers are.

Regift them

If your blooms still look fresh and bright after your ceremony, why not consider donating them or gifting them? You can even gift-wrap the flowers afresh before regifting them. Senior homes, hospitals, and charity organizations are some of the places you can donate slightly spent flower bouquets.

Wrappers 

Bouquet wrappers can be recycled in so many ways to make something unique, cute, and practical. Depending on what you are making, recycling bouquet wraps may require cutting, folding, shredding, or taping. Below is a list of ways you can reuse or recycle flower wrappers.

• Make future party decorations
• Create home décor items
• Make desk organizers with packaging
• And much more

Sustainable alternatives to giving cut flowers

As we might have mentioned already, fresh-cut flowers can only last for so long. With the utmost care and maintenance, many cut flowers only stay alive for seven to twelve days, give or take. This means that fresh flower gifts end up being disposed of quickly, raising concerns over their eco-friendliness.

Thankfully, there are several alternatives so you can still show someone how special they are to you with flowers. For instance, you can gift someone with the whole plant instead of its fresh flower cuts. Other common sustainable options include:

• Cacti and other succulents
• Potted plants
• Flower basket hangings
• Artificial flowers like Silk and Fabric variants
• A bonsai tree

While flowers make amazing gifts, no one said that gift-giving shouldn't be sustainable and environmentally friendly. By recycling flowers or using sustainable alternatives, you are actually reducing your toll on the environment. These tips can serve as your guide to recycling used flowers after a party, event, or ceremony.

Author Bio:

Claire Jane Ward is an experienced eco-lifestyle and marketing writer with a passion for creating insightful and engaging content that's easy to digest. She aims to help build a better future for the environment and its habitants by educating them to live sustainably in practical ways. Occasionally she spends her time playing with her cat while listening to her favorite podcasts.

Plastic film recycling: an overlooked opportunity

We often focus on issues surrounding plastic bag recycling, but there is an important type of plastic that is commonly overlooked: plastic film and wrap. Plastic film recycling is a category of soft plastic that is similar to plastic grocery bags. The common exclusion of this material when talking about plastic bag recycling is potentially leaving out a vast amount of viable recyclable material that could be used to make new packaging.

What is plastic film?

Plastic film, plastic overwrap, and other soft plastic packaging is often found as an alternative packaging option for products that do not use cardboard packaging. Commonly, overwrap is found as packaging over paper towels, toilet paper, water bottles, and more.

Plastic film is made of polyethylene (PE) plastic. This type of plastic is commonly labeled #2 HDPE or #4 LDPE in the recycling loop. This does not mean all #2 and #4 plastics fall within this category, only that if it is #2 or #4 and flexible, it can be recycled with plastic grocery bags.

To be more specific about what constitutes flexible, let's clarify that if you can pull and stretch it with your hands, then it is probably plastic film. If it tears or makes a crinkling noise, it is not the type of plastic film accepted with plastic bags.

Additional materials in this category include plastic air-filled pouches for packaging, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags, plastic bubble mailing envelopes, and plastic newspaper wrapping. For air-filled pouches, make sure to pop them before recycling them, and remove any labels from plastic bubble mailing envelopes or newspaper wrapping when applicable.

How to recycle plastic film

Plastic film is not accepted in the vast majority of curbside recycling programs. Plastic film is a type of soft plastic that is difficult to sort out and can easily get tangled in recycling center sorting machines. Unless you live in one of the rare locations that accept this material, you should never place this type of plastic in your curbside bins, but it is able to be recycled with plastic bags at designated drop-off locations.

It is important to remember that all plastic film that is meant for recycling must be clean and dry. There should be no stickers or debris on the plastic. If there is, you can remove that portion and recycle the remaining clean plastic.

Make sure you do not add any biodegradable or compostable plastic film to the bin. These types of packaging are made of an entirely different material and would contaminate a load of viable plastic film for recycling.

Where to recycle plastic film

It's quite common to find plastic bag and wrap bins at many grocery or retail stores. Many big box stores such as Walmart, Home Depot, Staples, and the majority of grocery store chains accept plastic bags for recycling. There is typically a bin in or around the entrance of these stores specifically meant for bag and film recycling.

These sites also provide plastic bag and film recycling resources for you to locate bins near you:

• Bag and Film Recycling
• NexTrex
• Earth 911

As with any recycling question, it's always worthwhile to check with your local recycling program to see if they accept plastic film or shopping bags as a drop-off item even if they do not accept them with curbside pick-ups.

How to recycle more

Plastic film is an often overlooked material that is completely recyclable through these drop-off programs. Since only about 9% of plastic produced is recycled, we need to make sure we are getting the plastics that are recyclable to the right places. Knowing what is and is not recycling can help us recover more materials in order to use less natural resources for new products.

The EPA estimates that 14.5 million tons of plastic packaging and containers are produced annually.

Now that you know a large amount of soft plastic packaging is actually accepted with plastic grocery bags, you can start helping to recover more materials for recycling.

With the rise of plastic pollution and the movement to reduce plastic waste, the possibility of Styrofoam Recycling is a critical question you need answers to. We will tell you all you need to know about the fundamental issues surrounding Styrofoam recycling today.

Technically Styrofoam is a specific brand of expanded polystyrene foam made by DuPont. Actual Styrofoam is made for construction and used as an insulation filler. Any of the foam plates, egg cartons, meat trays, cups, packaging inserts, coolers, etc. are actually expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) made from a wide variety of companies. Yet, colloquially, we still call it all Styrofoam. Calling all these items polystyrene is starting to catch on, but Styrofoam is what everyone typically knows all of these items as.

How bad is Styrofoam for the environment?

In addition to the many probable health risks that EPS foam creates, there are also several negative impacts from this material on our environment.

Being such a lightweight product that can sometimes break into tiny bits, Styrofoam packaging and containers can easily turn into an abundance of pollution in our environment from litter that is picked up by the wind. This can pollute land and water making it easy for wildlife to ingest as they mistake it for bits of food.

While initially Styrofoam type products were thought to be safe for the environment, it has now been determined that over time they release a gaseous methane derivative known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs contribute to depleting the ozone layer, which is a large factor in climate change. The degradation of EPS or Styrofoam products accounts for almost 3% of CFCs in the atmosphere.

The disposal of this material is where the problem really lies. Polystyrene is made to be protected from the elements, so when it ends up in a landfill, it will not break down and will just be a contributing factor to increased waste. While the exact lifespan of these products is unknown, scientists speculate it will take at least 500 years for polystyrene to break down, if it ever does at all.

Is there an environmentally friendly way to dispose of Styrofoam?

If foam recycling is not an option in any given area, the other solutions are to add it to a landfill or to burn it. Neither of these options are particularly good. As previously mentioned, there is little chance of this material breaking down in a landfill for hundreds if not thousands of years.

As for burning polystyrene, this can be done safely and efficiently with the same types of byproducts as a car produces. This however means carbon dioxide. Carbon emissions, again, are a large contributor to climate change, so burning Styrofoam products is not a particularly environmentally friendly option.

Recycling Styrofoam or expanded polystyrene foam is the most environmentally friendly disposal, plus it reduces the need for making as much new Styrofoam, but it is not always accepted in most locations.

How does Styrofoam recycling work?

To recycle foam packaging, it is cleaned then shredded before being melted down into a paste then turned into pellets. These pellets are able to be sent to manufactures to produce new products.

There are also some recyclers using new advances in chemical recycling to break down polystyrene at a chemical level to reprocess it. This type of recycling can also accept polystyrene that is dirtier, such as food packaging that has been soiled, whereas traditional recycling methods for this material only accept clean foam. Chemical recycling is still fairly new and uncommon at this point.

Any kind of recycling of expanded polystyrene (EPS) is still overall an expensive process, so it is often not offered at local recycling facilities. Since making new EPS packaging from oil is typically cheaper than using recycled EPS materials, it is not considered cost effective by manufactures to use. If a recycling facility doesn't have a buyer for the recovered materials, then they don't tend accept that material to recover, since there would be nowhere for it to go.

Does Styrofoam go in my recycling?

The technology exists for expanded polystyrene recycling, but it does not mean your local recycling program automatically accepts it. It is important not to contaminate your recycling with materials that don't belong, so you should always look up what your recycling facility accepts and does not accept.

While many locations do not accept Styrofoam in their program, some programs may accept it at special drop-off locations or at certain collection events. This is often because Styrofoam breaks easily and sticks to other materials in your bin causing contamination. Please check with your municipality before assuming they offer Styrofoam or EPS recycling.

Are there alternatives to using Styrofoam?

There are almost always alternatives to using any type of plastic, so Styrofoam is no different. Avoiding single-use items of any kind is always a good idea. Using reusable containers, plates, etc. can significantly reduce your need for polystyrene.

Reusing foam packaging, such as packing peanuts, is a viable option if you end up with them. By reusing these types of items, you can keep them out of landfill longer, and you can avoid buying more of them.

Finding alternatives for Styrofoam packaging can be a bit trickier, but fortunately more and more biodegradable options are being put on the market these days. There are companies working on making polystyrene alternatives from mushrooms, corn starch, and other biodegradable materials. These types of innovations in plastics are game changers.

In Conclusion

With all the ins-and-outs surrounding Styrofoam recycling, it is important that you always check with your municipality to see if they accept any types of expanded polystyrene foam. You can search the 'What Goes Where' search tool on the Recycle Coach mobile app in participating areas.

Otherwise, try to avoid using EPS foam whenever possible so you can avoid plastic waste and reduce our need for more plastic to be produced.