Before you throw something out, take a moment to see if there are ways you can reuse an item with it’s recycled materials for another purpose. While it might take a bit more time to look something up or the plastic recycling numbers, ultimately you’ll be helping the environment and saving yourself some money. There are many sites and video tutorials dedicated to ways you can upcycle your ‘junk’ and identify recyclable materials.

Of course, if you can’t reuse, then the next best thing is recycling. Make sure you get to know your community’s recycling guidelines. For e-waste, always check to see if there’s a specific day or location where you can drop off old items like phones, TVs, and computers as these require special handling. At the end of the day, a little time and effort can go a long way in reducing your waste.