Tips - Buy Recycled

Closing the Loop

 

Do you know why the recycling symbol has three chasing arrows? Each arrow represents one step in the three step recycling process that completes the recycling loop.
recycling arrows

The first step is collection. This is when you put your recyclables into your blue recycling cart or take them to a drop-off site. The collected materials are then prepared for market and sold to a manufacturing facility.

Manufacturing is the second step in the recycling process. The recyclable materials are converted into new products and shipped to stores to be sold as new consumer goods.

The third step is where you, the consumer, purchase products made with recycled content. When you "Buy Recycled", you complete the recycling loop. Always check the % post consumer recycled content (% pcr) of the products you buy. A higher % pcr means more of the product was made from recyclables collected from residential or commercial recycling programs.

     

Examples of Recycled Content Products

A wide variety of products containing recycled materials are available. Some products, like those made from glass, steel, aluminum, and cardboard almost always contain recycled content. Many other products can be found that contain recycled materials if you look for them. The following table lists a few of the recycled-content products that can be found locally.

Recyclable Materials
Recycled Content Products
Brand Name
Stores
Glass Bottles & Jars

Glass Bottles & Jars

Glass bowls, vases & candle stick holders

All brands

All stores

Home Environment

Steel (Tin) cans Any steel product All brands All stores
Aluminum cans Aluminum cans All brands All stores
PET plastic

Carpet

 

Fleece jackets, hats & gloves

Kid Tough, Radical, Rockhill Manor,

 

Patagonia

Menards, Home Depot

 

REI, Erehwon

HDPE Plastic

Trash bags

 

Plastic lumber

Renew, Seventh Generation

Copps, Cub Foods, Magic Mill, Whole Foods

 

Menards, Home Depot

Newspaper Cellulose insulation All brands Menards, Home Depot
Office paper Office paper Geocycle, Great White

Office Depot, Best Buy, Office Max Staples, Wal-Mart

Mixed paper Paper towels, Napkins, Bathroom tissue Green Forest, Seventh Generation Bergmann's Pharmacy, Cub Foods, Copps, Magic Mill, Whole Foods, Home Environment Community Pharmacy
Corrugated Cardboard Corrugated cardboard boxes Cereal boxes All brands All stores

Recycled Product Resources