The 18-gallon recycling bins are a box shaped recycling bin, which is good for any type of material you want to recycle. You can get them with and without lids, which make them a stackable type of container.
When you are recycling paper, you want a different container for each type of paper. The magazines, glossy printed flyers, newspaper inserts, phone books, envelopes, computer paper, old letters and paper packaging can all go into the same recycling bin. Newspapers however require their own bin just as corrugated cardboard and plastic lined drink boxes both requires separate containers.
Plastic will not decompose in a landfill. Some plastic containers can be recycled into other products. Unlike aluminum cans, which can be recycled into another aluminum can. Recycled drink bottles will not come back as another drink bottle. It may come back as a shower stall, plastic bags, plastic toys, motor oil bottles and the list goes on. There are several different types of plastic, so you will have to check with your recycle center to see what types of plastic they are equipped to take. There are some recycle centers, which are known as "All Plastic Recycling Centers", which means they will take any type of plastic. Just to give you an idea, plastic goods are assigned a number to grade them for recycling. #1 and #2 are for containers, #4 is for bags, and #7 is for mixed plastics and is not recyclable.
Plastic bottles are a valuable recyclable material. Tops of the bottles should be removed and placed in with the other regular plastic items. Plastic grocery bags can be recycled. Many grocery stores will have a container at the front of the store for customers to place their used grocery store bags into. Polystyrene cups, food trays and egg cartons will not biodegrade. Some plastic recycling centers will not accept the polystyrene items, but some due. Try to reduce your use of this material.
Plastic #5 can be recycled, but it has very little market value when it has been recycled. You are better off reusing them at home. These are the containers you will find cottage cheese, sour cream, butter, yogurt, etc.
Each different type of plastic will go into a different 18-gallon recycling bin. Recycling centers prefer you not lump them all together.
Glass is recycled by the color of the glass container, clear, green and brown and the recycling centers prefer they are separated in those colors. Paper labels can be left on the containers. Glass product such as light bulbs, mirrors, sheet glass, and Pyrex must be placed in a container away from the bottles because they have a different glass composition than the bottles. Compact florescent bulbs can be recycled at your local IKEA store.
Food cans are not made of aluminum but should be recycled. Aluminum cans are a valuable recyclable. Aluminum foil and foil packaging are also just as important to recycle as the cans. They can be used to make small engine parts.
Paint can, aerosol cans can be recycled. These are also considered to be hazardous waste, so they must be separated from other metals. Retain the paper labels because it is necessary for the recycler to know the material, which was in the cans. Try to keep the lid with the can it belongs to.
Copper is one of the most recyclable of all the metals. The alloys used with the copper to make up the copper products are also recyclable. When recycling copper, it only takes less than 15% of the energy it took to mine, mill, smelt and refine the copper in the first place.
As you can see you will have plenty of uses for the 18-gallon recycling container. The number of containers you will need will depend entirely on the number of materials you will be recycling.
