For individuals and businesses alike, recycling is one of the most effective things you can do to reduce your impact on the environment. It takes less energy and resources to make items from recycled materials than it does to make those same items from scratch, and it prevents harmful chemicals from ending up in landfills. If you work in an office, there are likely many items you use every day that could be reused —here’s what you should know before throwing them in the trash. 

What Items Should Your Company Recycle? 

1. Metal Cans

Both aluminum and steel cans can be easily melted down into raw metal and reused over and over again. Reusing these materials helps reduce the need to mine for aluminum and iron — which means less strip mining and other destructive practices. So next time you open a soft drink at the office, think twice before throwing it in the trash can. 

2. Paper 

Each year, entire forests are cut down to create paper products. Recycling the newspaper you read every day and the hundreds of printouts you use at the office can not only save trees, but also cut down on harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Manufacturing with recycled paper products reduces air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides that contribute to smog. 

3. Cardboard

Since it’s a type of paper product, recycling cardboard also saves trees and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a readily recyclable material that can be easily reused. In fact, more than half of the cardboard that’s collected is used to make new cardboard boxes, and additional cardboard can be used to make cereal boxes or shoeboxes. Recycling these products also clears up space in landfills for items that can’t be recycled — recycling 1 ton of cardboard frees up 9 cubic yards of landfill space.

If you need a recycling and garbage collection service to help you do your part for the environment, choose RTI Trash in Russellville, AR. For more than 40 years, this local, family-owned company has provided basic recycling, along with roll-off and pickup trash services, for commercial residents throughout Pope and Yell County. They currently recycle cardboard, paper, and metal products, so your business can sustainably dispose of the items it uses most. They also offer free rear-load or hand-load recycling service to current or new, qualified customers. To get started, call (479) 890-2662 or send the team a message online today.