The fourth R
Anyone who lives even a light green lifestyle is by now familiar with the Reduce, Re-use, Recycle mantra. Now I propose we add a fourth “R” to the mix: Read up on your local recycling guidelines. Earlier this week, The Kitchen linked to the Gaiam Community’s handy Recycling FAQ, which covers ten common recycling quandries (e.g. Do I need to take the labels off of jars and cans?), and many of the answers note that recycling programs differ from city to city … which means that the only way to find out exactly what you can and can’t toss into that municipal recycling bin is to go directly to the source. So I did—and was surprised to find out that San Francisco recycles the #4 and #5 plastic containers I’ve been tossing in the trash for the last six months. So don’t eat another container of yogurt without checking in—give a call to city hall to make sure you’re not simply throwing recyclables away.
