Not all items are recyclable and that can mean more waste.
UPPER PENINSULA -- Last week on TV6's Green Tuesday feature, we began to discuss how to start recycling plastic.
Not all plastic items are recyclable, and that can mean plenty of waste. However, there are steps you can take to help reduce and reuse plastic items.
As mentioned, only plastic items marked with a 1 or 2 can be recycled.
A good way to cut down on the number of non-recyclable items in your home is to look before you buy. If the item you need is non-recyclable, look to see if it can be purchased in other packaging. Or, you could buy in bulk so you end up with a smaller amount of these items in your home.
Reusing non-recyclable items is as simple as using a bit of creativity. You can use regular utensils instead of plastic and reuse plastic items more than once. Also, you can use plastic food tubs to store other things, such as crayons or craft items.
For all the bottles you may have, you can think of your options before you toss them.
According to Ann Erspamer at Profiles Salon in Marquette, their customers are encouraged to bring in empty shampoo and conditioner containers.
"We give our customers--when the customer tries something out--I give them a small container, a sample size of something. I ask them to bring it back and I can refill it for them if they are traveling," stated Erspamer.
For that morning coffee, if you have a favorite place you always go, ask if they will allow you to get your morning joe in your personal travel mug instead of a throw away cup.
As for plastic bags, there are many uses for them, that www.realsimple.com has dedicated several articles on it.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC