1. Find out which plastics are accepted for recycling in your community and where they can be taken. Though recycling varies, most community programs collect plastic bottles and many grocery and retail chains now offer bins to collect used plastic bags and product wraps for recycling.

2. Know what to recycle with your bottles. A “bottle” is any container with a neck or opening that’s smaller than its base and includes milk jugs; beverage containers; bottles from salad dressing, oil and other condiments; food jars for items like peanut butter and mayonnaise; and bottles from shampoo, toiletries, laundry detergent and other household cleaners.

3. Know what to recycle with your bags. When you recycle your bags, include all plastic bags from grocery and retail stores, dry cleaners, plastic bags that cover newspapers, and product wraps from paper towels, napkins, bathroom tissue and diapers.

4. Clean and empty. Before tossing them in the recycle bin, make sure bottles are appropriately rinsed and that caps are removed. Similarly, bags should be clean and empty of trash or receipts.

You may have noticed that this list comes courtesy of the American Chemistry Council. If you follow this blog, you may remember that we have a bit of a beef with them, for refusing to acknowledge that plastic bag usage must be deterred in order to save our environment. That said, sometimes they do have something useful to say and far be it from me to pass it up out of spite. Recycling is just as important now as it ever was. Don’t forget it this season.