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If you’ve already jumped on the sustainability train (or should you say bicycle), you’re likely wondering if you can do more to help the planet and live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. But as you look around your home, you might not see anything suitable for recycling. This isn’t the case, though, and you’d be surprised how many things you can recycle in every home across the country. 

Carpets

If you’re thinking of investing in a brand new set of floorboards or carpet to go somewhere in your home, then consider what you can do with your existing carpet. Most people would be satisfied with throwing it out. However, carpets that are in a decent condition can be recycled or even sold. You can search for carpet reclamation services in your area, or you can get in touch with the original manufacturers to see if they have a recycling program for you to drop the old carpet off at. 

CDs and DVDs

If you’re someone born before the nineties, you’ve likely got stacks upon stacks upon stacks of CDs and DVDs in your home. Some of these discs will bring back amazing memories, but others are probably purchases that you regret, and hope never gets out. If no one’s willing to buy them or if they’ve gotten scratched, there are recycling and repurposing solutions to that your brief Madagascan Country phase didn’t go to waste. 

Appliances

From washing machines to dryers and everything in between, these large household appliances are too often relegated to the side of the road where they are either picked up and destroyed or left to rust away until they become an eyesore. However, most of the parts used to make these appliances can be recycled. You can even make a fire pit out of a washing machine drum, which is perfect for camping.  

Home Electronics

Your home contains so many electronics that you may not even think about as electronics. If you’re anything like the majority of the country, you’ve probably got a drawer full of cables, plugs, and old cell phones to keep ‘just in case’. Face it, though, you’re never going to use them again, so check with your local recycling plant to find out how to recycle these items properly. 

Crayons

If you’ve got kids, there’s a significant chance that there’s a bucket somewhere in the attic full to the brim with old crayons. It’s unlikely your kids will ever use these again, but they don’t have to go to waste. The National Crayon Recycling Program accepts over 100,000 pounds of old and unused crayons every year, saves them ending up in a landfill, and melts them down to create new crayons to send to schools and other educational institutions. 

There’s Always More to Recycle

As manufacturing and recycling processes become more and more sophisticated, the more possibilities there are for embracing sustainability. If you’re struggling to find items and accessories to recycle, take a quick look around your house, in the basement, and up in the attic and see what sustainable treasures you can find.