Recycling used to be a term reserved for coastal elites, but now almost every house in the United States has a recycling container outside. Recycling isn’t hard anymore—you usually don’t have to go to a center where you check the number on the bottom of every yogurt container and aluminum can. Recycling trucks simply pick up your cans and containers and take them away for you.
That being said, there are a few lesser-known items that can also be put towards a greener future. For example, did you know that you can recycle your bras? It’s true, whether you have padded bras, bralettes, or sports bras. Not to mention the great potential captured in your old appliances or garden furniture. To learn more about how to unlock the potential that exists in your underwire and old refrigerators, read on.
Find your local scrap yard.
There are probably plenty of items that you would never classify as scrap metal, but that absolutely qualifies as such, like old garden furniture and kitchen appliances, for example. Getting new gutters installed on your house? Looking at new washers or dryers? Old washers, dryers, and basically anything made of aluminum, stainless steel, and even nickel is an item that a scrap yard would be happy to take off your hands. How do you find the scrap metal yard in your neck of the United States? Easy—just head to your favorite search engine and type a site-specific search, like “scrap metal recycling center in Mobile, AL,” or “scrap yard Topeka, KS.” It really is that simple.
Send your bras off to help women in need.
Sometimes your old bra just isn’t doing what it should anymore. When your push-up bra or padded bra is getting a little flimsy, you may feel that your straps are digging into your shoulders, or the wire is pushing at your ribcage. No one likes that. This is when it’s time to recycle your bras. By simply putting a used bra in a cardboard box and shipping it off to be repurposed, you can impact the lives of women who aren’t able to buy the push-up bra their breasts need. Recycled bras are refitted, regardless of type, so that they can provide the type of support that women without access to bras need. Whether it’s a padded or corset-type bra, your old undergarments can really do a lot of good.
Recycle your used cooking oil to make biodiesel.
Okay, this might sound crazy but it’s true. You can collect your cooking oil (vegetable oil, fats, and grease) and have it sent off to be turned into fuel that actually powers vehicles. Recycling the cooking oil that accumulates in your pots and pans is a great way to make an impact, and it’s also easy. A quick search for a “cooking oil recycling center near me” will lead you to organizations that work to make this happen. Schedule an order pickup and you’ll be contributing to a greener tomorrow.
Sign up for composting services.
This solution depends on your region but is still a great one. There are plenty of cities that will send composting trucks to collect your scrap vegetables and greens to be composted, so it’s worth your while to check your municipal website to see if this applies. If not, there may be a local community garden that accepts scrap veggies periodically. To keep your peelings and clippings from rotting on your counter until pickup day, you can either invest in a compost bin or keep the peelings in freezers. That way, they’ll stay fresh and ready to be turned into rich earth.
Recycling doesn’t gave to be hard, and it can even be fun! Check out these unusual ways to help the planet for a great summer of renewal.
