Sizzling summer recycling tips: keep it cool & GREEN

Ahhh, summer. The season of sunshine, BBQs, and s’mores… and unfortunately, overflowing trash cans at campsites and park shelters.

At Green Girl Recycling, we LOVE a good lake day or picnic—but we don’t love the waste that gets left behind. So here are some easy (and actually doable) tips to help you enjoy all the summer fun without trashing the planet.

🌭 1.

Ditch the Disposables (When You Can)

I get it—single-use plates and plastic forks are convenient. But every time we bring reusable dishes, we feel like champions (and our trash bag is SO much smaller).

• Bring a small dish bin with soapy water and call it your “camp sink.”

• Pro tip: thrift stores have awesome, mismatched camping silverware sets.

• If you have to use disposables, look for compostable ones (but don’t toss those in the recycling bin!).

♻️ 2.

Sort Your Trash Like a Picnic Boss

Here’s your quick guide:

✅ Cans, plastic bottles, cardboard: recyclable!

🚫 Solo cups, paper plates, plastic utensils, food-soiled foil: nope.

✅ Clean foil, dry chipboard boxes, and glass (if you’re not deep in bear country): yes!

Bridget’s bonus rule: If you wouldn’t drink out of it again, it’s probably not recyclable.

🏕️ 3.

Camping? Pack It In, Pack It ALL Out

This should be common sense by now—but sadly, it’s not. Don’t leave behind beer bottles in the fire pit or broken tents by the outhouse.

We once hauled out a folding couch left on a trailhead. A COUCH, friends. 😑

Please don’t make us chase your picnic table trash down a mountain side.

🧊 4.

Cooler Hack: Use Reusable Ice Packs + Real Containers

• Ice packs > bagged ice (no sloshy mess)

• Reusable containers > sandwich baggies (they keep things colder anyway!)

• Cut watermelon before the picnic and skip the rind mess entirely

🥤 5.

Party Smarter, Not Trashier

Hosting a BBQ? Label your trash, compost, and recycling bins so guests know where things go.

Even better? Recruit a “Recycling Wrangler” (a kid with a cowboy hat will totally do it for popsicles).

💚 Final Thought: Don’t Sweat Perfection

You’re not going to get it 100% right every time—and that’s okay. Just doing something makes a difference. If every camper recycled their beer cans or used real forks, we’d save TONS of waste.

So grab your sunscreen, your shades, and your snack bin…

and let’s make summer sustainable.

Cheers to a cleaner campsite and greener grill-outs,

— Bridget @ Green Girl Recycling