Waste Not

Even if you don't consider yourself to be "green", recycling is an easy thing anyone can do to prevent waste. After you empty that jar of jam, instead of tossing it in the garbage, rinse it and recycle it. It only takes a few extra minutes (if that) of your time and there are tons of places at which to drop your collected containers if your neighborhood doesn't collect it for you. Earth 911 will help you locate recycling centers in your area.

That being said, the toughest part of recycling can be keeping everything separated so that you can drop it off later. Of course, you don't need anything fancy- labelled trash cans would do the trick, but here are some great containers I found to keep your recycling organized.

If there are only one or two people in your house and you don't have a lot of garbage, these stackable baskets are a cute way to sort your recycling. I like them because they're inexpensive, come in lots of cute colors, and don't take a lot of floor space. Basic Stack Baskets, $6.99 each, The Container Store.

If you have a larger family and enough room for several slim garbage cans, try the SimpleHuman Slim Step Garbage Cans from Crate & Barrel. They'll hold a lot of recycling so that you don't have to drop it off every other day. $39.95 each.

If you really require a space saving design, or if you love to hear your aluminum cans crunch, try the Ecopod. There's a hole in the top for cans or bottles, which you can crush and then collect in a container in the bottom. Also, lift the lid for paper and glass storage. Unfortunately their online store isn't currently open, but check back if you're interested.

You can recycle more than plastic, metal, glass, and paper. If you want to take your recycling to the next level, start composting. I've blogged about the NatureMill Indoor Composting System before, but it's worth another post! Just drop in your leftover food, coffee grounds, etc. and two weeks later you will have recycled fertilizer perfect for tending to your plants. As soon as I get a house, I'm getting one of these! Starts at $299. $399 for the above model.