3個沒有回收的東西，但確實可以回收

3個沒有回收的東西，但確實可以回收

Recycling is second nature to most of us. Each week we dutifully deposit our used bottles, cans and paper in curbside bins for repurposing and a second life. It’s a good feeling, but, sadly, not all trash is recyclable. Most municipalities and recycling companies have a long list of things they don’t take.

回收利用是我們大多數(shù)人的第二天性。每個星期，我們都盡職盡責(zé)地把用過的瓶子、罐子和紙張放在路邊的垃圾箱里，以便重新利用，重獲新生。這種感覺很好，但遺憾的是，并不是所有的垃圾都是可回收的。大多數(shù)市政當(dāng)局和回收公司都有一長串他們不回收的東西。

But just because something’s on the no-no list, doesn’t mean it can’t be recycled — somewhere. You might have to forgo the convenience of weekly pickup, but plenty of companies and organizations are devising new ways to keep more “unrecyclables,” like the three below, out of landfills and in circulation for use in new products.

但僅僅因為某些東西被列在禁忌清單上，并不意味著它就不能被回收——在某個地方。你可能不得不放棄每周撿垃圾的便利，但許多公司和組織正在設(shè)計新的方法，讓更多的“不可回收物”，比如下面的三種，遠(yuǎn)離垃圾填埋場，進(jìn)入循環(huán)，用于新產(chǎn)品。

1. Plastic grocery bags and product packaging

塑料購物袋和產(chǎn)品包裝

Plastic shopping bags, food wrappers and dry cleaning bags is recyclable. Look for a drop-off recycling receptacle at your supermarket sponsored by the Wrap Recycling Action Program. Belen Strehl/Shutterstock

Problem: Seems like every time you turn around you’ve accumulated another pile of plastic shopping bags, food wrappers and dry cleaning bags. Sadly, not many municipalities recycle this type of plastic because it’s not usually clean and dry enough after sitting outside in your curbside bin, and also because plastic bags and films tend to get caught in recycling equipment. The result? Most of the 500 billion plastic bags and mountains of product wrapping used around the world every year end up in landfills or oceans where they can spend 300 years breaking down into toxic particles that contaminate the environment.

問題:似乎每次你轉(zhuǎn)身的時候，你就又積累了一堆購物塑料袋、食品包裝袋和干洗袋。遺憾的是，并沒有多少市政當(dāng)局回收這類塑料，因為它們被扔在路邊的垃圾桶里后通常不夠干凈和干燥，也因為塑料袋和塑料薄膜容易把回收設(shè)備弄臟。結(jié)果呢?全世界每年使用的5000億個塑料袋和堆積如山的產(chǎn)品包裝，大部分最終都被扔進(jìn)了垃圾填埋場或海洋，在那里它們要花300年時間分解成有毒顆粒，污染環(huán)境。

Solution: Fortunately, this kind of plastic is recyclable and can be transformed into many products, including composite lumber, pipes and even new bags. To make sure your plastic wrap and bags get reborn, look for a drop-off recycling receptacle at your supermarket sponsored by the Wrap Recycling Action Program (WRAP). In addition to plastic grocery bags, you can also deposit your clean bread bags, paper towel and toilet paper wrapping, sandwich storage bags, plastic shipping envelopes, furniture and electronic wrap, and other plastic films.

解決方案:幸運的是，這種塑料是可回收的，可以轉(zhuǎn)化為很多產(chǎn)品，包括復(fù)合木材，管道，甚至是新的袋子。為了確保你的保鮮膜和包裝袋得到重生，在你的超市找一個由wrap回收行動計劃贊助的下拉回收容器。除了塑料購物袋，你也可以存放你的清潔面包袋，紙巾和衛(wèi)生紙包裝，三明治存儲袋，塑料運輸信封，家具和電子包裝，和其他塑料薄膜。

2. Wine corks

葡萄酒軟木塞

To recycle wine corks, find a CorkReharvest drop-off box near you. They're often located at Whole Foods, wine shops and restaurants. kopava/Shutterstock

Problem: Sure, you recycle your wine bottles, but what about the corks? Chances are you toss them. It may not seem like a big deal, but cork is actually an important renewable resource that can be easily repurposed. In fact, using and recycling natural cork helps keep ecologically-harvested cork forests productive and thriving. These environmental treasures, located mostly in Europe, are tremendous biodiversity centers (sheltering endangered animals like the Iberian lynx). Plus, they absorb millions of tons of CO2 and provide thousands of families with a sustainable source of income.

問題:當(dāng)然，你會回收你的酒瓶，但是軟木塞呢?很有可能你會把它們?nèi)恿?。這似乎不是什么大事，但它實際上是一種重要的可再生資源，可以很容易地重新利用。事實上，使用和回收天然軟木有助于保持生態(tài)軟木林的生產(chǎn)和繁榮。這些環(huán)境寶藏大多位于歐洲，是巨大的生物多樣性中心(保護(hù)像伊比利亞猞猁這樣的瀕危動物)。此外，它們吸收了數(shù)百萬噸二氧化碳，為成千上萬的家庭提供了可持續(xù)的收入來源。

Solution: There are a couple of ways to make sure your corks remain in use. One is to bring them to a Recork.org drop-off location or ship them to the organization for recycling. Recork began collecting corks from restaurants, wineries and individuals in 2007 to be remade into new products such as shoes, flooring and yoga blocks. The Cork Forest Conservation Alliance runs a similar program called CorkReharvest. Look for drop-off boxes in grocery stores such as Whole Foods, wine shops, winery tasting rooms, restaurants, hotels and performing arts centers.

解決方法:有幾種方法可以確保你的軟木塞繼續(xù)使用。一種是把它們送到一個Recork.org站點，或者把它們送到回收組織。Recork從2007年開始從餐館、酒廠和個人收集軟木塞，將其改造成新產(chǎn)品，如鞋子、地板和瑜伽磚。軟木橡樹森林保護(hù)聯(lián)盟也有一個類似的項目叫做CorkReharvest。在Whole Foods、葡萄酒商店、葡萄酒品酒室、餐館、酒店和表演藝術(shù)中心等雜貨店尋找送餐箱。

3. Clothing and textiles

服裝和紡織品

Some clothing retailers allow consumers to drop off unwanted clothes at their stores — whatever the brand or condition — for recycling. Clothing that still can be worn is usually sold in second-hand stores. Olaf Speier/Shutterstock

Problem: According to the Council for Textile Recycling, the average American tosses about 70 pounds of clothing and household textiles into landfills each year. That amounts to something like 150 T-shirts per person, which collectively adds up to 21 billion pounds of waste annually (more than 5 percent of landfill trash).

問題:根據(jù)紡織品回收理事會的數(shù)據(jù)，平均每個美國人每年要把大約70磅的衣物和家用紡織品扔進(jìn)垃圾填埋場。相當(dāng)于每人150件t恤，加起來相當(dāng)于每年210億磅的垃圾(超過垃圾填埋場垃圾的5%)。

Solution: While it’s difficult to turn used fabric into new fabric, there are more and more ways (besides donating worn clothing to charities) to keep old outfits out of the trash heap and extend their useful life. For instance, many clothing retailers, like Levi’s and H&M;, allow consumers to drop off unwanted clothes at their stores — whatever the brand or condition — for recycling. Clothing that still can be worn is usually sold in second-hand stores. Unwearable pieces are repurposed into insulation and cushioning products, or the fibers are upcycled for use in new clothing. Your municipality may also offer curbside clothing recycling similar to programs already running in Southfield, Michigan, New York City and this one just started in Austin, Texas.

解決方案:雖然把舊衣服變成新衣服很困難，但是現(xiàn)在有越來越多的方法(除了把舊衣服捐給慈善機構(gòu))來避免把舊衣服扔進(jìn)垃圾堆，延長它們的使用壽命。例如，許多服裝零售商，如Levi 's和H&M;，允許消費者把不需要的衣服扔到他們的店里進(jìn)行回收——不管它們是什么品牌或狀況。還能穿的衣服通常在二手商店出售。不能穿的衣服被重新用于絕緣和緩沖產(chǎn)品，或者纖維被更新循環(huán)用于新衣服。你所在的市政當(dāng)局可能也會提供路邊衣物回收服務(wù)，類似于已經(jīng)在密歇根州、紐約市的南菲爾德開展的項目，以及剛剛在得克薩斯州奧斯汀開展的項目。