In the United States alone, each consumer produces approximately five pounds of waste daily, and much of it ends up in landfills. This massive waste production cannot continue forever. The planet does not have infinite land to house it.

A large portion of the waste can and should be recycled. Simply recycling your plastic, aluminum, and cardboard lessens the strain on landfills and reduces the need to make more of these substances. Recycling is an invaluable tool to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.

Process of Recycling

Most recycling follows a basic process that includes collection, sorting, and manufacturing. People usually have the choice of using curbside pickup or central drop bins. Depending on the service, recyclers may need to sort their items into plastic, paper, glass, etc. Motivated citizens need to make certain that much of their recyclable waste is collected.

This collected waste is taken to a recycling center where a more stringent sorting process takes place. All items are sorted into their specific category so that contamination does not take place during the manufacturing process. A glass bottle in with plastic or plastic in with cardboard can lead to serious difficulties later in the recycling process.

Finally, the items go through a manufacturing process that transforms them into usable raw materials. Paper is broken down into small fibers so it can become writing material, packaging, etc. Plastic is melted so that it can be molded into new shapes.

Benefits of Recycling

Recycling has many individual, geographical, and global benefits. On the individual level, people who recycle feel a sense of pride in protecting the planet. On a practical level, they may pay less for their garbage pickup when they remove their recyclable items from their general trash.

Geographically, recycling reduces the need for landfills, which can be an unsightly addition to your city or town. Also, landfill contents can leach into the water table and contaminate the soil despite numerous government regulations.

Globally, recycling in the U.S. helps the country’s standing around the globe. Some other countries are ahead of America in their recycling efforts and see it as unfairly damaging the world’s natural resources.

Reasons Why Recycling Will Help the Planet

Recycling helps the planet by reducing reliance on landfills and preventing discarded items, such as plastic bottles and straws, from being swept into the ocean or introduced into the natural habitat of wildlife. Plastic straws are already harming sea turtles and other animals by becoming lodged into their shells or impacting their digestive systems.

Recycling also cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions since it reduces the need to produce more plastic. Greenhouse gases are largely responsible for global warming, which is negatively affecting ocean levels and the world’s climate.

Recycling paper means fewer trees are cut down to make new paper products. As a result, everyone enjoys cleaner, healthier air. Trees also fight dangerous climate change.

Why Recycling Is Essential

Recycling is not optional to protect the world’s resources. Global warming is real, and the production of excessive waste is a huge contributor to this phenomenon. Although protecting the planet requires a global effort, it begins on the local level. When individuals take steps to recycle their waste, it helps the cause and hopefully contributes to a ripple effect in their communities and countries.

By: Katherine Robinson, a writer for Blue Stone Supply

Moving can be a stressful experience. You have to move and reorganize all of the belongings you’ve collected throughout the years, which is no small feat. A moving company can make this whole experience easier, but it’s not always in the budget. Thankfully, there are some simple ways you can make moving easier for you and your family without the help of a professional service.

Find The Right Equipment

Renting a box truck is an easy way to ensure that you don’t have to make tons of trips. You can reserve a truck even if you’re not moving for a few months. This way, you’ll have an exact moving date to get everything organized by and you may even be able to save a bit of money by reserving in advance. Before you make your reservation, be sure to do plenty of research and get the right size for your needs. After you’ve secured the truck, collect all the equipment you’ll need to pack your belongings. You’ll want to ensure you have boxes, packing tape, and bubble wrap. You may also want to get padded moving blankets and two or four-wheel moving dollies to make it easier to move and protect larger or more fragile objects.

Recruit Help From Friends and Family

It’s helpful to recruit a lot of people to help you move large furniture and lots of boxes so you don’t have to do it yourself. Be sure to have food and drinks ready for them and let them know as soon as possible so they can free up their schedule. When you arrive at your new home, it will be the perfect opportunity to give everyone you care about a tour.

Get Rid of Things You Don’t Need

Moving is the perfect time to assess your belongings and sell or donate what you no longer use or won’t be able to use in your new home. As you go through everything, separate items into piles labeled keep, donate, or sell. Once everything is organized and you’ve reduced clutter, you’ll be able to move with less hassle.

Stay Organized

If you have organized all of your belongings before you move, it will be easier to separate everything out once you arrive at your new place. You may want to consider creating a color-coded system for better efficiency. Color code your boxes, create a spreadsheet, give each room a color and number, and list all the items that will go in that room. This will help you find exactly what you need for each room when you arrive at your new home. You’ll also want to create a checklist of tasks to complete before and during the moving process so you don’t miss anything.

Pack Up Everything As Efficiently As Possible

When it comes time to pack up everything in your home, you’ll want to do so in the most efficient way possible. Take all your larger furniture pieces apart as much as possible and cover them in padded moving blankets or plastic wrap to ensure they don’t get damaged. You should defrost and empty your refrigerator at least eight hours before you move if you intend to take it with you. Any equipment that includes flammable liquids, like lawnmowers and grills, should be drained and stored appropriately for transport. Be sure to cover liquids like shampoos and cleaners with plastic wrap so you don’t have to clean up a mess when you reach your destination. You may also want to pack an overnight bag filled with all of your essentials so you aren’t searching through tons of boxes for the things you use every day.

Following these important tips will allow you to easily navigate the moving process on your own with less stress.

By: Katherine Robinson, a writer for Portable Storage Box