Top 5 Tips for a Greener Earth – Happy Earth Day!

More then ever people are becoming more concerned about the future of our planet. With all of the focus on “going green”, here are five easy recycling tips that you can use to get you started on making every day Earth Day.

Cardboard Boxes

Many earth conscience people dream of one day living in a paperless world, but that may be just a dream. The experts say that paper still makes up about 35 percent of our total waste. There are many ways in which we can cut down on our paper usage. The main way is simply reusing the things we already have in our homes. For example, if you sometimes make purchases that come packaged in boxes, why not reuse them to ship an item or save them for your next big moving day? Store clothes and shoes in them until you are ready to make your next donation. Then just take the box and all the stuff straight to the donation drop off. Cardboard boxes can be flattened out and can easily be stored under the bed or in the garage, then quickly reassembled again with packing tape.

Aluminum Cans and Foil

The use of aluminum cans has been in existence since the 1800’s. Beverages began to be sold in aluminum cans in the mid 1960’s. Aluminum is probably the most recycled of all recyclables today mainly because of its value. You can actually make money by turning in used aluminum and metals to a metal recycling center.

Aluminum foil can generally be recycled with your aluminum cans however recycling centers vary in this regard so check with your local center. You can reuse aluminum foil in the home if you wash it thoroughly. It is not wise to reuse aluminum foil that has come into contact with raw meat.

Plastic Bottles and Bags

We seem to be surrounded by plastic water bottles these days. In 2006, 17 million barrels of oil were used to produce the water bottles used for that year. Most plastic bottles are made from a material called PETE or polyethylene terephthalate because of its versatility.

Most American households have a stash of plastic bags hidden somewhere in their kitchen or garage. Although most people use them daily, they rarely ever get recycled. Most recycling centers do not except plastic bags as part of its curbside pick-up program making them the number one priority for environmental waste. Most grocery stores do have a drop-off bin for plastic grocery bags, so be sure to look for them at your neighborhood store!

Electronics

With each new year comes a host of new electronic gadgets such as cell phones, TV’s, computers, CD and DVD Players, video games, printers and other office machinery. If you are thinking about upgrading any of your electronics, be sure to either donate the old ones or take them to the recycling center instead of tossing them out into the garbage.

Automotives and Household Appliances

Some of the largest items to hit our landfills are old tires, car batteries, auto bodies, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators and furniture. All of these items can either be repurposed or taken to a recycling center in your local area.

We hope you will take Earth Day as an opportunity to start reducing, reusing, and recycling! AMC Liquidators is excited to help celebrate Earth Day by offering several choices in pre-owned furniture which keeps it out of landfills! Remember, AMC Liquidators Furniture Outlet also offers furniture repair, refinishing, and restoration to help you recycle your old furniture, too. Be sure to check out our website for more information and to view our current inventory.