Even if you don’t purposely look for products made from recycled materials, you are probably using them every day. In fact, you may be surprised to learn some of the unexpected places recycled materials turn up.
1. Playground Equipment
From composite lumber products to tires repurposed as rubber mulch, playgrounds are a veritable hotbed for recycled materials.
2. Shop Towels
When you choose to go with towels made from recycled paper and wood pulp products or recycled cleaning rags from fabric remnants, you are helping the environment by choosing a greener option for wiping up spills.
3. Asphalt
Old roofing shingles can be crushed and recycled as an additive in paving materials. They are, after all, made from asphalt.
4. Automotive Parts
Plastic is recycled into numerous components for the automotive industry and, chances are, some of them are in your vehicle. The most likely items to be made from recycled plastics are seat cushions, splash guards, and wheel liners.
5. Toothbrushes
Before you get totally offended by this notion, it is only the handles of toothbrushes that get manufactured from injection-molded recycled plastic.
6. Coffins
No, they don’t reuse or recycle coffins that have already seen their service, unless of course you only rented one for the viewing. More manufacturers are jumping on board with making your final resting place a greener one by using recycled or biodegradable materials.
7. Baseball Bats
All those beer cans you recycle at the stadium can help make baseball dreams come true for future generations by returning as aluminum baseball bats. It may also be used in a slew of other useful items, like license plates and thumbtacks.
8. Kitty Litter
More households are turning to green cat litter options. You can choose from recycled newsprint, pine pellets, and even crushed walnut shells. Each has a lighter environmental impact than traditional clay-based litters that do not decompose.
The next time you pick up a household item, take a minute to think about where it came from. Chances are some part of it could be made from recycled materials.