5 Ways To Recycle More At Home — And Enjoy It More, Too

Smarter, Faster Recycling Is Now At Your Disposal

At The Basket Lady, we love it when you fill our baskets up to the brim. But if there’s one basket we’d actually love to see more empty, more often, it’s your waste basket.

That’s right. Recycling your waste beats discarding it — every single time. Yet we know that recycling, while wonderful, is often a challenging habit to maintain. That’s one reason why we created our fantastic hand-woven recycling baskets like our Wicker Divided Recycling Basket: to help keep the Three R’s top of mind, even day of the week.

It’s also why we put together this collection of five tips for smarter at-home recycling. In honor of Earth Day, here’s how you can make the most of your wicker recycling basket from The Basket Lady . . . and help the environment in the process.

1. Reuse, repair or upcycle more items instead of discarding them.

Sometimes the best recycling doesn’t go to the recycling center at all. Before you toss that piece of clothing, broken small appliance or doodad, ask yourself, “Could this be fixed up and reused?” Or “Could it be used for an entirely new purpose altogether?” Especially if you’re crafty or handy, looking at waste through new eyes could revitalize a pet project you’re working on, or inspire a new project altogether.

2. Keep the dates of your local recycling pickup visible in multiple places.

Any easy way to ensure you keep recycling for the long term is to post local deadlines and reminders for pickup, ideally somewhere prominent like on a refrigerator or cupboard. When your recycling basket is emptied regularly and hauled away on time, you will always have enough space for whatever you want to toss in. Plus, in many cities, recycling isn’t collected as often as trash. Posting pickup dates helps you stay accountable and on-track.

3. Turn recycling into a fun competition that gets your whole family involved.

Do you children know which items from their lunch boxes are biodegradable? Or how to recognize which cast-off toys should hit the recycling basket? Teach your whole family the process, then assign every one a recycling basket. (Our Kubu Wicker Trash Basket with Metal Liner or Oval Wicker Waste Basket would be perfect for young children.) Whoever has the biggest haul on pickup day wins something special — perhaps an extra hour of TV, a special dessert, or the chance to select the big activity on Family Night.

4. Start recycling the more than 50+ little-known items that can be recycled.

One of the most misunderstood aspects of recycling is the sheer variety of things that can be recycled. This fantastic list shares 50 unusual items you can recycle today. Some of them might require some extra arrangements with your local pickup company—but you’ll feel great about yourself and do the environment a favor, too.

5. Make recycling bins accessible in more parts of your home.

Proximity makes any task easier. While most of us keep “recycling central” in our garage, mudroom or kitchen, consider installing recycling bin baskets in more rooms. With beautiful options from The Basket Lady - such as our covered Corner Wicker Trash Basket With Metal Liner, our Drop-In Wicker Trash Basket With Metal Liner, and our round Tall Wicker Trash Basket with Metal Liner - there’s a look to complement every kind of decor. Recycle everywhere, and watch the surprising amount you’ve collected come Pickup Day.

The Basket Lady is the world’s premier supplier of high-quality rattan and wicker baskets at near-wholesale prices. Contact us toll-free at 888-742-4172 or view our entire collection at BasketLady.com. Send us an email or visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.