One of the best ways you can do right by yourself and the planet is to keep your stuff going as long as possible. The longer you can keep it out of a dumpster, the better. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States produced nearly 300 million tons of landfill waste in 2018, amounting to approximately five pounds of trash per person every day. When it comes to recycling something like plastic, it’s complicated. The majority of plastics people put in those blue recycling bins are not actually recycled—just 9 percent of that total, according to some estimates. The rest ends up incinerated or landfilled, which pollutes our air and water.

The good news is that it can be easy to reuse, repair, or responsibly recycle your stuff, even packaging or small appliances. It’s all about community too: The greenest junk hauler and reuser just might be your friend, family member, or that neighbor next door.

I often receive the same question about recycling or reusing stuff by different readers, such as whether produce clamshells are recyclable. To help celebrate Earth Day, we picked out some of the most common questions people ask. Is your question not on the list below? Write to me here and I just might include you in my next roundup. 

Plastic produce baskets and clamshells

Are plastic produce containers recyclable? Any reuse ideas?
—Amy in Aurora, Colorado

The plastic clamshells you find in grocery stores containing everything from blueberries to nuts are often made of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, which is a type of polymer favored for its durability and flexibility. It can be recycled, but you should check with your local hauler to make sure they’ll take it, as some forms of clamshell are difficult to recycle and end up in the landfill anyway. Reusing the clamshells would be another way to keep them out of landfills. But keep in mind: Many studies have found that containers made with PET can leach microplastics into whatever they hold, whether it’s water or food, if the container degrades over time.

You can find those same foods at farmers’ markets, often without those plastic containers. Or wherever you shop, bring your own containers, gently refuse packaging, or invite sellers to use paper produce containers.

Shipping padding, such as envelopes

Is there any way to recycle padded envelopes? 
—David K. Jordan in La Jolla, California

The best way to recycle shipping materials is to reuse them. Store them for the next time you need padding or envelopes. Or offer them up to neighbors through the Buy Nothing app, their Facebook Groups, or Nextdoor. You can also contact your local shipping store and ask if they will reuse them. Call first and ask if they reuse padded envelopes (paper or plastic), air pouches, padded boxes, soft foam, or peanuts (styrofoam or other kinds). Thrift stores for art and school supplies might also accept them. If you can't bring your stuff to repairers, reusers, or recyclers, ask for delivery help from local Facebook Being Neighborly or Buy Nothing groups.

Large, thick plastic bags 

I bought a mattress wrapped in a thick, clear plastic bag. Is it recyclable?
—Michael Hughes in Walnut Creek, California

Cities that collect that kind of soft plastic often can’t find buyers to recycle them. You can reuse soft plastic to protect your home (or your neighbor’s) when painting or remodeling inside or outside. Save yourself time getting rid of stuff by asking sellers not to use that kind of plastic wrapping the next time you purchase a similar item. 

Appliances and more

What’s the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of small appliances that no longer work, like hair dryers, toothbrushes, and toasters?
—Sandra in Kent, Washington

Vacuum repair companies sometimes will repair other small appliances. In San Francisco, the only place I know that does that is Phil’s Electric. Here are more tips for how to repair anything with a cord and almost everything else. Get help fixing it! Check out free iFixit guides, worldwide Repair Cafes, and events by Reuse Alliance or your city or county environmental department. Or search for “fix-it fairs,” “fix-it clinics,” or “repair fairs.” You can also hire hard-to-find repairers in ReEnvisionRepair’s list.

Remember that there’s a different process for hazardous waste, which includes things like paint, non-empty aerosol spray cans, automotive fluids, batteries, any chemicals (adhesives, cleaners, fertilizers, pesticides), fire extinguishers, fluorescent bulbs, and propane. Ask your city or county waste management or environmental agency for where to safely dispose or recycle those things. Or donate them, such as to Los Angeles’s reuse centers or Orange County’s materials exchange program. 

More responsible recyclers, thrift stores, and junk removers

Your best bet is to support green businesses certified by local or state governments or Green America. (In those sites, search for “thrift,” “junk,” or “hauling.”) They’re supposed to meet standards to reduce waste, pollution, and water and energy consumption. Even if a business says it's certified, verify it on the certifier’s website. Also, if one thrift store or junk hauler in a chain is a certified green business, it doesn’t mean the whole chain is certified. 

Thrift stores are sometimes found to put usable donations in dumpsters. For example, one entrepreneurial dumpster diver regularly finds usable things trashed by a thrift store, such as dinnerware and small appliances with cords cut to prevent people from salvaging them.

Whether or not a recycler, thrift store, or junk remover is a certified green business, ask what they do with stuff they can’t resell or reuse. And here’s how to not "wishcycle" when you put things in your recycling bin!