I cannot remember a time that my family did not recycle.
Whether it was the newspaper, soda cans, or batteries - we were taught at an early age to make sure to place our trash in the appropriate "bin" for pick-up.
However, recycling encompasses much more than just placing trash in the right place.
Recycling takes used materials and makes something new out of them, so as to avoid using more of our natural resources in creating the same product.
Many times, the new item is substantially different from the original product.
Additionally, the reduces the amount of waste in landfills the amount of air pollution for incineration, and the amount of water pollution from landfilling.
Getting the public to agree to recycle has not always been easy so effort has been made to make recycling as easy as possible for consumers.
First, there are drop-off sites for recyclable waste, secondly there are centers (in some states) where you can bring you recyclable materials such as soda cans and water bottles and receive a small payback in return - this provides a great incentive to people not to discard their cans.
Third, there are the curbside collection bins where consumers sort their recyclable product from their waste at their home and put only the items that can be used again out for pick-up - the rest to be considered "garbage".
There are many items that can be recycled: batteries, clothing, electronics, iron, steel, aluminum, glass, paint, paper, plastic, cotton, tires, lumbar and so much more.
Consumers are not alone in their quest to help the environment by recycling - many businesses and industry leading giants embrace recycling and strive to be "green".
Many companies are actually sought out by consumers for being "green" and using recyclable materials.
One industry leader of hotel amenities, Pro Terra, uses biodegradable products made with natural and organic ingredients and has amassed a great following because of it.
Many guests actually look to see if the products they are using have been made with recycled products and if they are green.