Recycling can be one of the most overwhelming discussions of the decade. While we know of all the benefits associated with recycling, doing it at home may seem harder than finding a snow leopard.

For many of us, the reality of recycling is difficult to fathom especially when we think about tackling the process at home with little to no infrastructure in place. With efforts being ramped up by local businesses like restaurants and stores, it’s easy to believe that we can act sustainably on the go, but what difference can we make if there’s not a simple way to take care of waste at the house?

Believe it or not, recycling isn’t always followed by doom and gloom. In fact, there’s so many ways we can make recycling work for us without depending on external factors to get us started.

That’s why we’re sharing five easy ways to help start your recycling journey.

1) Do the research

The first step to easy recycling is finding out if your apartment complex, neighborhood, or trash company collects items to be recycled. Once you determine what kind of items are collected, (if any) all you have to do is begin separating your items and dropping them in bins provided. If you don’t have access to recycling bins, ask your local municipality for a few to get you started.

2) Dedicate bins for in-home recycling

We all enjoy convenience but a lot of times, inconvenience is what stops us from recycling. Adding dedicated recycling storage bins around the house can make disposing of items easy. We recommend adding bins in the bathroom, laundry room and kitchen!

3) Advocate

If where you’re living doesn’t provide recycling, your best bet is to advocate for the service. Write a letter to housing management or the HOA to bring the topic up with fellow residents. In the meantime, you can locate a nearby municipality that will accept your items on a weekly basis.

4) Reuse things

While this tip isn’t necessarily recycling, it does keep unwanted items out of landfills and oceans. There are so many ways to reuse the items we buy from stores – whether that’s for storage, planters, or temporary containers… extending the life of an item goes a long way!

5) Buy better

When shopping for the house you can opt to purchase already recycled items! There’s also the option of buying re-fillable packaging to limit your personal carbon footprint while saving companies from more plastic production.

We hope these five tips help you begin to recycle more, and stay tuned for other blogs addressing sustainable habits!