KNED Help Desk

File VII: Solid Waste Education

Take-Home Recycling Kit

Each resident of Oklahoma discards the equivalent of 5 pounds of waste daily. This figure includes industrial and agricultural wastes. More than 50% of what we waste is reusable or recyclable. The loss of natural resources and energy, as well as waste disposal costs, both environmental and economic, make home source separation an important alternative.

What is source separation? Recyclable materials which are kept separate and apart from residential, commercial, and industrial solid waste by the generator for the purposes of collection, disposition, and recycling.

What materials are recyclable? Glass, Paper, Aluminum, Tin, Plastic, Oil, Batteries, Tires, Appliances.

Keep our country clean!

Recycling makes our
cities beautiful and safer

Recycling Preparation

How do you prepare glass, paper, almuminum, tin, and other recyclables for recycling?

  • GLASS: Wash glass (no need to remove labels), remove all caps and rings, separate glass by colors
  • PAPER: Stack newspapers in a fire-safe area, flatten cardboard, place computer paper, junk mail, etc., in a cardboard box
  • ALUMINUM: Make certain cans are aluminum, rinse, flatten cans, separate cans from other sources of aluminum
  • TIN: Wash and remove labels, remove both ends and flatten
  • PLASTIC: Remove label, rinse out bottles, remove lids and caps
  • OIL: Dispose in small quantities (less than 5 gallons)
  • BATTERIES: Usually you can exchange when you buy new ones
  • OTHERS: Please contact Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, (405) 702-1000

How to Set Up Your Home Recycling Center

Setting up and maintaining you r home recycling center can be a fast, easy process. The time required per household is about 73 minutes per month -- a little less than 2 minutes per day.

The following are the basic steps for establishing your home recycling center:

  1. Find a convenient place in your home or apartment for the center. It does not take up too much room. Storage of glass, cans, and newspapers for a month usually takes up a 3×3 foot area. The garage, a storage closet, corner of the kitchen, or under the sink are good places.
  2. Find sturdy containers to store materials. Three plastic buckets or paper boxes can be used: One for paper, one for cans, one for glass.
  3. Locate your nearest recycler. Call (405) 702-1000

Not recycling hurts our environment and robs us of our resources


GOOD LUCK IN YOUR RECYCLING!!!