"The recycling companies in most major cities are connected with the respective city's utility department. In most major cities, even in most medium-sized cities, recycling services will be connected with the same department that handles solid waste."
To find out about the specifics of your city's programs, including the possible costs associated with recycling; begin by looking on the Internet.
Acuna explains, "Your city's website would be the best way to find out what kind of recycling programs are made available in your community."
Be sure to find out what the recyclers will accept before you begin setting items in your curbside bins, but don't be discouraged if they don't list a material you'd like to dispose of.
"A lot of cities not only have curbside programs, they also have drop off facilities," clarifies Acuna.
This makes it especially easy to get rid of larger items or large quantities of items that may not meet the requirements for traditional pickup.
"Say you decide to clean out your garage and generate a lot of material that is not appropriate for the curbside collection,then you'll have the option to take it to a drop off facility," says Acuna.
If you live in an area that doesn't participate in a recycling program there are still most likely many places near you that will accept your items. Try searching in your local Yellow Pages or asking for assistance from your utility company. If neither of those resources leads to convenient options, you can always revisit the Internet.
Recycling world offers many suggestions and links on their website at www.recycle.net. You can also find ideas at The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide at www.obviously.com/recycle.
The National Recycling Coalition offers comprehensive pages with links to local community recycling websites related to at their site, which is located at www.nrc-recycle.org. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency at www.epa.gov offers guidance in finding resources in your area.
The Earth 911 organization operates a very user-friendly online service that allows you to enter your zip code to find recycling resources near you,they even designate part of their website to environmental information for kids. Their site is located at www.earth911.org.
And the Recycling Directory at www.recyclingdirectory.net, provides recycling links sorted by material type for easy reference.
However, if your items are unique or if you have individual things to dispose of that don't fit into a traditional recycling program, visit Freecycle, at www.freecycle.org. Their group matches item donors with folks looking for specific items in their community.
A statement on their site reads "When you want to find a new home for something,whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door,you simply send an e-mail offering it to members of the local Freecycle group."
Wherever your research leads you, just remember that no matter where you live, there are always recycling options available.
