Consider this fact: the average American will throw away about 600 times the amount of his or her weight in garbage in their lifetime. With this in mind, it is hard to even fathom the amount of waste that is currently polluting our Earth, but one thing is for sure and that is the need to recycle.

Many people think it is too much of a hassle to recycle, but this is wrong! Recycling can be quite easy if you know all the tips and tricks on how to deal with trash. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled some of our favorite recycling hacks to make the job as easy as possible.

Step 1: Always buy recycled
From recycled paper to recycled plastic, there is most likely an already recycled option available for any product you choose to buy. Anything from water bottles to clothing fibers and even electronics can all be made from recycled materials.

Step 2: Keep those recycling bins handy
All you need to do is keep a few recycling bins easily accessible around your home, and soon your family won’t even realize they are recycling! In most homes, these bins are outside but don’t be afraid to put them into the most used rooms in your home — think the kitchen, the living room, and the bathroom.

Step 3: Reuse cups and dishes
As tempting as it may be to buy paper cups and plates for convenience purposes, they just end up in landfills and pollute our earth. Get into a habit of swapping out your daily water bottle and coffee with a reusable cup and you’ll be shocked at how much paper and plastic waste you will save.

Step 4: Compost
Don’t forget to recycle your food! Creating a compost is just about as easy as it gets, all you need is a big bucket and a list of what you can toss inside, and you’ll quickly have nutrient-dense soil that is great for planning. Some common household items you can compost include:

  • Any vegetable or fruit peels
  • Coffee grounds and coffee filters
  • Soiled milk or any other cooking ingredient containing cream
  • Any type of grain
  • Stale candy chopped in small pieces
  • Cardboard cartons
  • Stale beer and wine

With these four tips in mind, recycling doesn’t seem so hard, does it?