Did you know that November 15 is America Recycles Day? With all the products out in the world today, it can be quite a challenge to understand what can and can’t be recycled. Have no fear, as we here at the County have all the tips and tricks you need to be a master recycler!

Held annually on November 15, America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized event dedicated to increasing recycling in our communities. In Santa Barbara County, everything you’ll ever need when it comes to recycling can be found right here at LessIsMore.org. The Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division (RRWMD) works hard to ensure that LessIsMore.org is easy to use, up to date, and full of useful information so everyone can feel confident about how they’re using their blue bins.

A Brief Introduction to Recycling

Recycling is the process of converting waste into reusable materials. Typically, this is done by first hauling recyclable materials to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for sorting. RRWMD operates a MRF at the County's ReSource Center. You can learn more about the MRF by clicking here. At the MRF, recyclables are separated, baled, and then sold to create new materials and products.

As you head to your blue bin, please only put the following items inside, and ensure that they’re loose (not bagged), clean, and dry:

• Glass bottles and jars
• Metal cans, pots, and pans
• Mixed paper, magazines, and newspapers
• Non-greasy cardboard
• Plastic containers with a #1 or #2 recycling symbol
• Rigid plastic containers with a #5 symbol, sized one-gallon or larger

Many of us "wish-cycle," meaning we put items in the recycling bin if we're not sure what to do with them. Material that is non-recyclable creates more work for the processing facilities and contributes to the residual trash that must be trucked back to our landfill. Check out the links above to learn more about what can be recycled in your curbside blue bins!

Other items like electronics, used oil, and even crayons are recyclable too, but should not go into your blue bin. Check out each material's LessIsMore.org page for more information about how to recycle or dispose of it. You can also call your waste hauler if you're not sure.

And don't forget! LessIsMore.org also has tons of great info about how to reduce waste in the first place. Be sure to check out our Reduce and Reuse section.

Take some time this America Recycles Day to browse our pages and become a recycling pro!