Everybody is familiar with the slogan “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” However, recycling isn’t standard in every apartment. It is estimated that 36.3% of the world’s population reside in apartments. Apartment dwellers could significantly reduce the amount of waste they generate if they adopted a recycling program. There are many advantages to apartment recycling for landlords, property managers, and tenants alike.
If you live in an apartment complex that does not recycle, the following ideas will help you get started.
Audit Your Waste
At first, implementing a recycling program in an apartment building may seem difficult. Disinterest or lack of space may make it difficult to focus your attention on the end goal. That is why it is critical to audit the type of waste discarded throughout the week. Seeing waste that could be recycled for cash end up in the trash is a great motivator. Not to mention that auditing your waste will give you an idea of how many recycling bins are needed and what types of waste to expect.
Select A Service
Contact your trash collector to inquire about their recycling services. If your current trash collector does not provide recycling services, you may need to contact your local recycling center and inquire about responsible trash collection or deliver your recyclables to the recycling center.
Reuse
Creative reuse is also an option for reducing waste. Think of ways to reuse items, such as reusing glass jars as storage units or turning old clothes into rags. Instead of throwing away old boxes or egg cartons, consider checking with nearby preschools and daycare centers to see if they need any arts and crafts supplies.
Reduce
Recycling your paper, bottles, and cans is not the only way to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. Instead, you should cut back on your consumption of these materials if you want to lessen their environmental impact. Instead of paying for bottled water, consider bringing a reusable bottle in your bag at all times. You can also bring your mug to Starbucks and save some money. Avoid using plastic bags at the grocery store by using reusable totes. Resist excessive printing unless it is necessary. And instead of using paper for grocery lists and calendars, turn to apps and the internet instead.
Buy Recycled Products
When you recycle waste, you start the process, but the process keeps going when you buy recycled materials. For the environment’s sake, it’s important to support companies that produce recycled products. Thrift stores are also great places to find other necessities for your home, such as decor and furniture. You’re not only keeping these items out of a landfill, but you’re also saving money on the amount of packaging they’d receive if you bought them brand new.
Encourage Others to Get Involved
You’re not the only one who wants to recycle in your building; there are probably many others who! Ask your neighbors and other locals if they have or would like to have a recycling system. You can then enlist the help of others to protect the environment, and everyone can take turns transporting recyclables to the appropriate facilities. A few more ideas for involving your entire apartment community include:
- Placing recycling bins beside your apartment’s trash bins.
- Having recycling bins near each building in your complex.
- Ensuring that tenants can easily distinguish dumpsters and recycling bins.
- Reminding tenants regularly about recycling and how it benefits the environment.
The building’s management may get involved if they find that most of their residents are interested in recycling. You can also discuss this with upper management to see if they’d be open to the idea of supporting it.
The Pew study on recycling found that people living in communities that prioritize recycling have more options for recycling. Even if it doesn’t seem like much, encouraging others to recycle will go a long way towards growing recycling options in your community. Putting in a little extra initiative to reduce, reuse, and recycle is all it takes! We can all make a difference by making small changes to the way we recycle, even if that means changing the recycling culture in the apartments.
