Have you ever wondered which bin to throw your trash in? Does recycling paper really help the environment?

Recycling includes paper products — sheets of paper and cardboard — as well as glass, metal and plastic. However, depending on the quality of these products, recycling may not be an option. For example, did you know that greasy pizza boxes are not recyclable? Recycling plants cannot process paper contaminated with food or other contaminants. Milk cartons, similarly, cannot be recycled if they are not washed out.

Compost is simple: anything biodegradable. This includes food like meat and fruit, plants and flowers, and certain napkins. Those greasy pizza boxes I mentioned earlier can be composted, surprisingly. The paper plates and napkins at the Broadway campus can be put in the green bin, so keep that in mind the next time you are eating there.

Lastly, trash encompasses most other items. This includes, but is not limited to, pens and pencils, dental floss, Styrofoam, and plastic items that are mixed with metal. These products cannot be recycled or do not degrade fast enough to be composted, so they must go to a landfill. Keep in mind that not everything can be trashed. Hazardous items like batteries, electronics, oil, and chemical waste cannot be put in the black bin. For electronic items, a separate waste service must collect them, so check for the next time these collection services are offered in your neighborhood.

But really, how important is recycling? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycling reduces the need to extract new resources from the earth, provides 681,000 jobs, and increases the overall health of the population.

Recycling is a crucial part of both our environment and economy. By contributing — sorting your trash correctly — you are helping the Earth and so many others. Truly, the importance of recycling cannot be overstated.