If You're Not Buying Recycled, You Aren't Fully Recycling
♻️ IF YOU ARE NOT BUYING RECYCLED, THEN YOU AREN'T FULLY RECYCLING!♻️
This is one of our FAVORITE habits to share. We know how important - and impactful - it is to recycle for financial and environmental reasons, but many are NOT really fully recycling. Why? Because even though you may have established a recycling habit to turn in glass, aluminum, plastic, paper, and cardboard, you may not yet actively try to BUY products made from recycled materials, closing the recycling loop!
♻️ HOW TO TELL IF IT WAS RECYCLED?
Wondering how to tell if a product is made with recycled material? Looks for the phrase "made with post-consumer recycled content" on the bottom. “Post-consumer” means that the recycled material used in your product came from recycling bins and centers like yours. This is the gold standard of recycled content!
♻️ FIND IT USED VS NEW!
Do you really need the product you're looking for to be brand new? Sometimes the answer is YES and you can look for something made with post-consumer recycled content. But many times, the answer is NO. Check out your local resale shops, Goodwill, thrift store, or consignment store for used items in great shape ready for a new life. Join a "buy nothing" Facebook group to locate and pass along items for FREE. Or our favorite, visit your local swap shop or swap table at the transfer station - there are SO many gems just waiting to be picked up!!
♻️ Great resources for locating products made from recycled materials: https://buyrecyclednow.org/resources/
It's time to close the loop on your recycling habit by purchasing products made with recycled materials! What are some of your favorite recycled products? Share them in the comments below!
This material is based upon work supported under a grant by the Rural Utilities Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Rural Utilities Service. Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Inc., is an equal opportunity provider and employer.