This is part of a compensated campaign with Johnson & Johnson and MomTrends.
If there is any place in the country where recycling shouldn’t even be a second thought, it is here in Southern California. We live in a city where a recycling bin is provided and pick-up is included each week with our Waste Management fees. Several years ago when we purchased our home, we committed to learning as much about the things we can and can’t recycle. Each week, we separate those items using a dual-bucket recycler bin we purchased at a local retailer and through education and modeling, our children now have some sense of what should be recycled.
My husband and I are constantly looking to see if items on their way to the trash bin are in fact recyclable. Imagine my surprise when I learned that we had been contributing to the 18,000 tons of plastic that end up in landfills. Each year, Americans throw away enough 15-ounce shampoo bottles to fill 1,164 football fields and I imagine that a lot of that waste is due to inadequate knowledge about what can and cannot be recycled.
As a country, 7 out of 10 Americans state that they consistently recycle, but that number drops to 1 in 5 when asked about recycling items in the bathroom. A simple way to determine whether or not that plastic bottle you’re about to throw away is recyclable is to look under the container for the #1 or #2 symbols. Your municipality’s recycling program and Earth911 are two other resources you can tap into to determine whether or not a container is recyclable.
To help educate and create awareness about the importance of recycling in the bathroom, Johnson & Johnson partnered with Recyclebank, Keep America Beautiful, Earth 911 and Net Impact’s Small Steps, Big Wins to launch a campaign called Care to Recycle. If you visit the Tumblr page, you’ll find resources including tips and information to help you become a more knowledgeable recycler.
I thought I knew all there was to know about recycling which is why this campaign is so important. Something as simple as recycling my shampoo and conditioner bottles can have a huge impact on the future of our environment. I encourage you to visit CareToRecycle.com to find out more about how you can help protect our earth’s natural resources.
Images: Johnson & Johnson
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What’s even scarier is that not all the plastic hauled away by waste services are actually recycled. Also, I have one carrier in my area that gave me the run around when I asked how he dealt with separating the waste and recyclable since he told me we didn’t have to separate. He also wouldn’t answer where he took them next; he was beyond vague. Many people don’t ask and carriers don’t tell; there is this misplaced trust that they’ll do what’s right and if we don’t really know that it’s not happening. Earth911 is a great place to start getting informed.