Most everyone knows about the three R's - Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle.  By following these three principles we can all cut down the amount of waste each of us generates every day. 

Reduce the amount of stuff you have by only purchasing the amount you need, whether it be household chemicals, paint, or whatever household product or personal item.  Select items to purchase that use less packaging and that use recycled materials in the products themselves.  Bring your own reusable shopping bags to the grocery store.

Reuse what you have by finding a new use for things that you might otherwise discard.  Use clean plastic butter containers to store small craft supplies, keep frayed or stained towels on hand to use as cleaning rags, or make phone message pads from single-side printed paper. 

Recycle what you can.  Inquire with your residential waste hauler if they offer curbside recycling services.  If home pickup isn't available in your area, you may be able to find a recycling center near you.  Many businesses have special bins for recycling newspapers, styrofoam egg cartons, plastic grocery bags, aluminum cans, and many other items. 

• To search for a location near you that takes your specific items, visit Earth911.com.   
• Recyclers servicing Metro Atlanta
  
  
  Plastic by the Numbers
  You have most likely seen the recycling symbol of three arrows forming a triangle on bins, products, and in advertisements.  You also may have noticed on plastics that the symbol has a number inside the arrows.  Have you ever wondered what those numbers mean?  These seven numbers are used in the plastic recycling industry to determine the type of plastic used in the product.  Some recycling centers only accept certain numbers, so it is important to check the symbol before placing the item in a recycling bin.  See below for a description of each number. 
  
  
  Polyethylene Terephthalate - water and soda bottles, food containers, shampoo bottles.  Recycled into clothing, furniture, and carpet. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  High Density Polyethylene - milk jugs, cleaning product bottles, grocery bags.
  Recycled into "plastic" lumber, new containers, drain pipes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vinyl or Poly Vinyl Chloride - pipes, container bottles, wire jacketing.
  Recycled into piping and siding.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Low Density Polyethylene - container bottles and plastic bags.
  Recycled into can liners, bins, floor tile.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Polypropylene - Yogurts and butter containers, caps, medicine bottles, straws. 
  Recycled into signal lights, battery cables, landscape borders.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Polystyrene - egg cartons, meat trays, CD cases.
  Recycled into insulation, egg cartons, foam packing.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Other - Polycarbonate, bullet proof items, water bottles, signs.
  Recycled into plastic lumber and custom products.