5 Reasons You Should Start Recycling Today

Wood Grain Circle
Trash Cans filled with food waste

Recycling is a word you’ve probably heard too many times. So, what’s the big fuss about it and why should you start today?

Here are our top 5 reasons to recycle at home.

1. Keeps trash out of landfill

Out of the total waste Massachusetts produces each year, only about 30% gets recycled. The rest is sent to the state’s landfills, but those sites are quickly filling up.

Recycling can help save lots of landfill space.

2. Saves natural resources

Extracting raw materials takes a lot of natural resources from the environment.

When we recycle, we extract less, which conserves many of our trees, water, oil and metals that are running out.

3. Saves energy

Recycling saves energy by reducing and even sometimes eliminating the need to manufacture products from scratch.

What’s more, making products from recycled materials is much simpler and less energy-intensive.

4. Creates jobs

5. Choosing to recycle isn’t just good for the environment, it’s also good for the local economy.

According to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), the removal of 10,000 tons of solid waste creates only six jobs while the same amount of waste if recycled can create 36 jobs. 

6. Fights climate change

As solid waste breaks down to landfill, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas 30 times as potent as carbon dioxide.

Recycling diverts waste from landfill and saves the planet from warming up.


How to recycle correctly

Recycling is easy but it requires some basic know-how.

Placing the wrong item in the blue bin can spoil the whole batch of recyclables. 


What to put in your bin

  • Food and beverage metal cans (empty and rinsed out)
  • Plastic bottle, tubs and jars 
  • Glass
  • Paper and cardboard

What NOT to put in your bin

  • Don’t put recyclables in a bag (very important)
  • No plastic bags or wraps
  • No food or liquid
  • No clothing or linens
  • No hose, wires or chains
  • No electronics - these are recycled in different facilities.


If you have a curbside program, check your municipality resources to find out what to put or keep out of the recycling bin.

Even better, you can hire a junk removal company who will do the recycling for you!

Green Team Junk removal provides the easiest solution for your trash hauling needs if you live in Worcester or Boston areas of Massachusetts.

We recycle unwanted items and donate up to 80% of everything we haul.

Schedule a free junk removal estimate today!