I admit it — sometimes, I’m lazy when it comes to recycling. I don’t want to take the extra ten minutes a week to clean and sort my recyclable items. Most of us already know which items to recycle every day, our paper, plastic, and glass. But what about all of the other things we collect and eventually throw away? Which of those should we be recycling? Here’s my list of the ten things you should always recycle… some of these may surprise you!

1. Batteries

Photo Credit: JustABigGeek

Whether you’ve got a drawer full of old cell phone batteries or just used-up AA’s from your TV remote, it’s always a great idea to recycle them. Batteries contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment, and they’re relatively easy to recycle. Here in the States, most post offices and office supply stores have bins where you can just drop off your old batteries. If you don’t think you’ll take the time to recycle your batteries, then invest in the kind you can recharge. Brilliant!

2. Clothes

Photo Credit: bitsandbobbins

Every few months, I clean out my closet and get rid of everything I haven’t worn in a year. There’s usually nothing wrong with these clothes; I just don’t wear them anymore. So rather than throwing them away, I donate them to a charity or host a clothing swap with my girlfriends. Why should clothes end up in a landfill, unless they’re too ugly to go on?

3. Appliances

Photo Credit: Richelle Ludwick

Like batteries, appliances contain chemicals that are poisonous and dangerous. Also, they’re made of materials that can easily be recycled. They’re also gigantic, and can take up unnecessary space in a landfill. There are hundreds of scrappers who are delighted to make pick-ups… take the extra time to find one, and recycle your appliances! That goes for computers, printers, and other electronics, working or not, too!