By the three Rs, I don't mean reading, writing and arithmetic. 
The Rs I'm talking about are Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. This is the first installment of a three-part series on the three Rs. Today we'll cover recycling!
RECYCLING
Why should I recycle?
When you recycle, you are saving money, natural resources and energy. Because less energy is used to recycle something rather than make a new something, factories don't release as much pollution. The materials you recycle are made into new products, thus keeping them out of landfills or incinerators.
What can I recycle?
This varies by location, but you can search by recyclable materials and your ZIP Code at Earth 911 to find recycling centers in your area. You can also call your city to find out if you have a curbside collection program and what is and is not accepted. Some cities accept a limited amount of materials at the curbside, but have a recycling center for other materials.
Some of the most common recyclable items are aluminum and tin/steel cans, glass, plastic bottles, paper and newspaper, and cardboard. Other items that can and should be recycled include batteries (very important), electronics, magazines and phone books. Food waste is another thing that can be recycled through composting, but that is a topic I will tackle another day.
How do I do it?
If your city has a curbside recycling program, they will probably supply you with a bin to keep your recyclables in until your designated pick-up day.
If you do not have a curbside program or if you want to recycle additional materials not included with the curbside collection, you might want to invest in a few bins or totes to separate out your recyclables and to use, once you've accumulated enough, to transport them to your nearest recycling center. We actually use large empty dog food bags to put all of our cardboard in (from cereal boxes, egg cartons, etc.) and transport it to the recycling center that way.
Most recycling programs require you to wash out the item (bottles, glass, cans, etc.) before recycling it. This is a good practice to get into if you are going to be storing the items in your home, garage or yard for a while before making a trip to the recycling center as it will eliminate odors from building up. It's a good idea to check with your city or recycling center to find out if labels or lids need to be removed as well.
What else can I recycle?
Other items that can be recycled and used again by another person or family through donation to a charity organization or by using Freecycle are clothing, appliances, furniture, toys, books, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. I will write more about Freecycle in a future post.
Learn more
You can learn a lot more about recycling at Earth 911 or the EPA's Recycle City.
It takes a little prep work to get started, but once you have a system in place, the effort required is minimal and you can feel proud that you're doing something good for the Earth!
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Recycling rocks! Great tips! People all too often forget the Reuse of the 3 R's. We try to think of crafts, storage and other uses for day to day items like plastic containers from food (one I was just reading about was cat litter scooped into baby carrot bags from the store! One less bag not used again!)