Taking Care of the Environment, Step By Step

Want to do something positive for the environment, well you can start today. By reducing, reusing and recycling waste, you’re on the right track to making a difference and you can do it in three easy steps.

Step One— Reduce
Reduce waste at its source by purchasing items that have little or no packaging material. This helps to eliminate items that are not accepted in Palm Beach County’s recycling program such as Styrofoam and plastic bags. You can also buy products made from recycled materials such as glass vases, paper products and even garden hoses. By doing this you’re helping to conserve natural resources.

Step Two—Reuse
When you reuse items you’re creating a less demand on raw material and reducing your garbage thus extending the life of the landfill. Do you see how it’s all connected! Also used items like a coffee can, can be reused as a pencil holder after it’s been decoratively covered. Just put a little imagination into it and you can reuse just about anything!

Step Three—Recycle
After you have reduced and reused your waste, it’s time to recycle it. Last year Palm Beach County residents recycled more than 100,000 tons of material. Through these efforts energy, landfill space and most of all natural resources were conserved.

Recycling is easy to do. In Palm Beach County we accept all plastic containers, aluminum cans, glass bottles and jars, aluminum foil and pie plates, drink boxes and milk and juice cartons in your blue recycling bin. In your yellow recycling bin place newspapers, magazines, catalogs, phonebooks, paper bags and corrugated cardboard (flattened and cut to 3’ by 3’). It’s that easy.

 
Did You Know?

Did you know that recycling at home is easier than you think? All it takes is a little time, two recycling bins and a heart for seeing the environment in the best condition it can possibly be.

In Palm Beach County we accept all plastic containers, aluminum cans, glass bottles and jars, aluminum foil and pie plates, drink boxes and milk and juice cartons in the blue recycling bin. In the yellow recycling bin place newspapers, magazines, catalogs, phonebooks, paper bags and corrugated cardboard (flatten and cut to 3’ by 3’). It’s that easy.

Items that are not accepted in Palm Beach County’s recycling program are Styrofoam, plastic bags, cereal boxes, tissue boxes and 6 or 12 pack beverage cartons. And please don’t worry about those steel cans; they can be placed in your garbage. Steel is extracted at the Waste-to-Energy facility and recycled into new steel products by manufactures.

There are many benefits to recycling. Recycling saves natural resources, valuable landfill space and conserves energy. Some of you may say, what’s the use but last year 100,000 tons of recyclables were diverted from the landfill and turned into new items thanks to residents just like you.

The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County encourages you to start recycling today. Need bins? Call 1-866-New Bins, that’s 1-866-639-2467 and a set will be delivered to your home.