Education Blog by ECA

Household Materials You Didn’t Realize Are Recyclable

Different metal garbage on white background. Recycling concept

In a world where landfills are increasingly full, recycling is more important than ever. As a homeowner, you likely know that you can recycle everyday items like cardboard, aluminum, and glass. What you may not know, though, is that many other common household items are just as recyclable as these staples. To ensure you help divert trash from landfills whenever you can, here are a few unexpected items that can be recycled.

Electronics

If you like to have the latest and greatest electronics in your home, you likely have quite a bit of electronic waste. Fortunately, most of the materials in modern electronic devices are recyclable. If you can’t sell your older items to someone looking for a deal, you can search for local electronics recycling companies that will disassemble and responsibly dispose of your unwanted electronics.

Copper

Copper comes in handy for a variety of purposes. Whether you’re running new water supply lines, plugging in an electrical cord, or installing a new designer sink, you’re likely to encounter copper at various points throughout your day. The good news is that copper can be recycled so that it can find a new life in someone else’s home. Copper recycling helps to remove the impurities in the recycled copper so that the new copper is just as strong as the old formulation.

Appliances

Although new appliances can do more than ever before, they often don’t last as long as their older counterparts. When you need a new washer or refrigerator, don’t send it to the landfill. Instead, consider recycling these large items so that junkyards can strip them of their metal and other useful components. The best part is that you can generally just leave your old appliances out by the curb, and a local scrapper will stop by your home and take them away for free.

Motor Oil

If you’re the type of person who likes to change their own motor oil, you understand just how much money this can save you. When you’re done changing the oil in your car, though, make sure to responsibly dispose of the old oil. Sending old oil to the landfill is illegal because of its potentially devastating environmental effects. Fortunately, recycling facilities abound to allow you to drop off your used oil so that it can be filtered and refined into new oil.

Do Your Research

When you do a basic online search, you’ll likely find that there are facilities to recycle just about any type of material in your home. If you’re really ambitious, you can aspire to a zero-waste lifestyle, allowing you to enjoy a comfortable life without contributing to overcrowded landfills. Although you can’t change the world by yourself, it’s certainly important that you’re a part of the larger solution.