There are so many ways that each of us are trying to do to reduce our impact each and every day. And the good news is, you don’t have to be perfect. It’s better for the environment for all of us to be sustainable imperfectly, than just a few of us being perfectly sustainable. Everything that you do makes an impact, even if you can’t see it! When it comes to trash, and the things that you are throwing away, is there anything that you should actually not be throwing away?

Baby food pouches

You know those apple sauce pouches that your toddler goes through like there is no tomorrow? Although they are made of plastic, they can’t be recycled, so your natural instinct is to toss them in your bin and move on. However, you actually can recycle them. You can send all of your baby food pouches to Terracycle for free(they pay for the shipping label!) and they will recycle them for you.

Batteries

You can, and should, recycle your old batteries! Just save them up and then take them to your local Lowe’s or Home Depot to recycle them.

Cardboard boxes

Almost everyone you know, knows someone that is moving. Give your cardboard boxes away to people who are moving! There is always someone out there who needs a box or two. Post on the facebook marketplace to see who in your area wants them.

Tires

There are so many wonderful ways that you can reuse tires! Planters, compost bins, sandboxes, and more! But tires can also be used to create artificial turf, turned into playground equipment, and even used as fuel. You can ask your local auto shop if they can recycle your 5 tires, and if they won’t, find a recycling center to take them to!

Cell phones

There’s something that feels weird about throwing away an old cell phone. And you don’t have to! If it is still functioning, take it to a local women’s shelter, since it can still be used for emergency calls even if it isn’t connected to a provider. If it is truly unusable, take it to your local target or walmart to recycle! By the customer service/entrance, there are bins to recycle electronics like old phones.