It is against the law for any unauthorized person to take items from curbside bins, and those who do are robbing counties of the revenue from recyclables that helps pay for curbside programs. Have a garage sale. Other people may be able to reuse your old stuff, so it doesn't have to be thrown away. Start a compost pile to recycle leftover food like bread scraps and fruit and vegetable leftovers. Throw away fatty foods like meat and cheese, which can create unpleasant odors and attract pests.
Phosphates ultimately can damage streams and rivers.
The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours. Recycle old newspapers. If we all recycled our Sunday newspapers, we could save more than 500,000 trees every week. The energy saved from one recycled can will run a television set for three hours. Instead of plastic bags, use reusable containers to store leftovers or when packing lunches.