3R Road Trippin’- How to Recycle on the Road

We’ve already shown you some great ways to recycle at home. It’s one thing to set up a recycling area in your own kitchen or garage, but it all changes once you hit the road on your summer road trip. There’s less space in your car, and even if you have a large RV you’ve still got to figure out where to drop off your recyclables. With a bit of planning, you can still practice the 3 Rs on the road. Grab your GPS and let us guide you along the way.

Snacks and Supplies

There’s bound to be tons of snacking as you roll down the highway, and this brings the questions of what to throw away and what to recycle. Try and choose items with less packaging, like items that are not individually wrapped. Believe it or not, some chip bags and candy wrappers can be recycled.

Remember your reusable cloth bag too! This cuts down on unnecessary plastic bags, even though those can be reused for garbage. Many grocery stores accept plastic bags for recycling- check out more details and where to find drop off locations for plastic bags.

Chances are, there will be more trash cans available than recycling bins. This just means you hold onto your items in the meantime until you spot a blue bin. Consider the containers that you’ll use to pack up your recyclables (cans, plastic bottles, paper). Even a large cardboard box with some paper bags will do- both of those fold up easily to stash in the trunk and can be recycled in the end along with your stuff.

One simple option is to keep separate plastic bags, bins, or boxes of items to redeem and recycle once you’re back home. This works well if you’re hoarding a bunch of stuff anyway, and you’ll be more familiar with your options. If this doesn’t sound appealing, Whole Foods and Target stores offer recycling bins, and they’re not hard to find at other stores too- just ask or look around by the eating areas.

For restaurants, and this applies even when you’re not on a road trip, practice the art of refuse for takeaway and to-go orders. All this means is saying no thank you to the stuff you don’t need. If you’ve got some handy silverware to eat with, for example, you don’t need a dozen napkins, plastic cutlery, and tons of sauces that you’ll never use. Take a look in your bag when you get your food, and politely pass those items back saying you don’t really need them. No need to throw usable things in the garbage!

Plan Your Route

As you plan your lodging, find out which places tout their environmental initiatives. The Best Green Hotels database from Environmentally Friendly Hotels is a tool to help you see a hotel’s commitment to being green. Their listings also include B&Bs, inns, lodges and resorts.

Simply check the button for the green check mark for “Yes” under search criteria like Guestroom Recycling Bins, Recyclable Disposables, or Gray-Water Recycling and click Advanced Search. Almost 50 results from all over the world show up! You can search for other ways to reduce waste, like if their practices include compost and if/how they conserve energy too.

Other programs for hotels and resorts that are environmentally-minded are: the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Green Key Eco-Rating, Green Globe international, and the Sustainable Travel International organization.

Some hotel chains even go so far as to recycle their soap and other amenities. Read about this squeaky clean program and see how to find participating hotels in this article.

Tip: Try to reuse your sheets and towels instead of having them laundered daily. This is a request you’ll have to ask about and make when you check in.

Sort It All Out

Different strokes for different folks- what works at home might be totally different in another city. You might usually throw all your recyclables in the same bin, but another place may need you to separate them out. This might seem confusing and you may wonder why it can’t all be the same. How easy it would be if it were! One main reason it differs from city to city boils down to infrastructure.

There has to be a market for recycled material for items to be recycled easily. One recycling center may have a really easy way to recycle paper, while another makes you sort out newspaper, and yet another has a recycling plant nearby for scrap metal. It all depends. The last thing you probably want to include on your road trip itinerary is a stop to the local recycling center. Come up with a recycling strategy, whether collecting recyclables to bring home, dropping them off whenever you see a bin, or stopping by a center. Figure out what’s most convenient for you and you’ll stick to it! City websites, visitor’s information centers, and hotel or campground staff will all be able to point you in the right direction if you need to ask about recycling. Many national parks have recycling too!

Ultimate Recycling Playlist

This is super cheesy, but if you mix in a few of these song tracks listed to the right along with your other tunes, they’re like built in reminders to do your part and recycle. It’s neat to know you’re not the only one out there who cares about pitching in to keep the planet tidy. Plus they’re catchy- give ‘em a listen!

Souvenirs

It can be said that having the experience itself is the greenest gift, in contrast to buying a memento. Going to a theater performance or outdoor garden is a great way to experience a new place, and just keeping the ticket stub alone is a good keepsake.

Those souvenir pennies squished into shapes of your tourist attraction are recycling and you didn’t even know it! This is in contrast to purchasing plastic toys that may be of dubious toxicity levels. Ask yourself: Do I really need something to sit around on a shelf? Or are pictures good enough? Consider buying goods by local artists to support the local economy and buy fair trade items when available.

If you’re buying gifts for others, use your old road map or a brochure to wrap it. Use your own judgment if it looks endearingly cheap or super clever and chic.

When All Is Said and Done

Recycling a mindset. If you’re tuned into it, there’s a zillion ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. These practices take a little know-how and planning, and you’ll find they’re well worth the time.

No related posts.