4 Unexpected Items You Can Actually Recycle!
We’re always on the lookout for ways to reduce the amount of waste we create, and love finding ways to recycle items we’ve previously re-used or thrown out. Here’s a short list of ‘unexpected items' you can recycle and where to send them!
Egg cartons
Some food banks get items like eggs in bulk, empty egg cartons can be used to distribute smaller amounts of eggs to clients. Extra boxes or cotton bags might also be useful for packing hampers. With local initiatives like food banks, always call ahead before dropping off items to find their drop-off times and accepted items.
Thin plastic like cheese wrappers
You read that right! If you consume single-sliced cheese, consider recycling the wrappers at a Recycle BC depot, or their drop-off locations at London Drugs. Have you checked out the full list of recyclable items? They even accept net produce bags! Just make sure any food has been cleaned off anything you drop off.
Batteries
Stores including Canadian Tire, Pharmasave, and London Drugs offer battery recycling for rechargeable, alkaline, and single-use batteries. Batteries should never be tossed in your garbage bin as they can contain toxic chemicals including, lead, cadmium, zinc, lithium and even mercury. As batteries break down, the chemicals may leach into the ground that contaminates the soil and can even make its way into our groundwater! Recycling batteries properly is important for our soil, water resources, and ultimately, us. Use the locator to find a drop-off location near you: https://www.call2recycle.ca/locator/
Pens, Batteries, Ink & Toner
Recycle pens, pencils and markers in store at Staples! Staples partnered with several recycling companies to give consumers the option to recycle the plastic items purchased from their stores and have diverted over 2 million writing instruments from ending up in landfills. Specialty recycling bins can also be purchased from Staples and shipped to Terracycle once filled. “Nearly everything not accepted by your curbside can be recycled by TerraCycle!”
Empty ink & toner cartridges are re-cycled through a program with Canada School Recycling that also recycles these items on a large scale from schools for free. Is your school signed up for this service?
Check out the list of recyclable items and their Staples’ recycling partners on Newswire!
Learn more about plastic pollution
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about recycling options! If you’re interested in learning more about the effects of plastic pollution on our oceans and marine animals, check out Sea Smart’s free interactive resources like “Ocean Trash Talk” or “Clean Water Champions”. They’re great for the whole family! Sea Smart also provides classroom workshops for students in grades 4-12 for a deep dive into ocean issues and how we can save our oceans. Sea Smart also offers after school programs in Vancouver to teach kids about different marine animals, cool ocean science, the threats impacting these animals and simple actions we can take to help.
