Homeowner sparks conversation with question about disposing of common household item: 'Why am I just learning about this?'

Reddit users in the r/recycling subreddit broke out into discussion over how to recycle pump lids you often find on soap dispensers.

The original poster asked how one would go about recycling these plastic contraptions, and attached an image of one that they were looking to recycle.

Typically, these cannot be recycled due to the pieces of metal mixed in throughout the pumps.

However, some stores have a solution. One commentator explained that the Beauty Dropoff collection bin at Ulta, as well as a TerraCycle collection bin at Nordstrom or Sephora, are great options for recycling these mostly plastic pumps.

Stores like these, which offer recycling options for goods that are typically unrecyclable, are a great way to ensure that plastic goods and other everyday household items don't go to waste.

Some stores and organizations even offer in-store credit for recycling their products.

Following these practices is not only a great way to limit the amount of plastic production around the globe, but it also helps in decluttering efforts.

According to Good Morning America, the average American consumer discards over 80 pounds of clothing and generates approximately 46 pounds of electronic waste each year.

This waste ends up in landfills, and a significant portion of it decomposes into methane gas, a harmful polluting gas that is detrimental to the environment.

Check out this helpful guide for decluttering in exchange for money. Organizations like GotSneakers, Play It Again Sports, PaperBackSwap.com, and more offer great ways to make a profit while decluttering the right way.

What confuses you most about recycling protocol? Which materials I can recycle 📦 How clean the material needs to be 🧼 What the plastic numbers mean ♻️ Nothing at all 😇 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Reddit users discussed these options, and many were surprised to learn about them only recently.

One user said, "Why am I just learning about this now?"

Another user suggested that the original poster could reuse the pump themselves, saying, "Reuse....I usually add water and shake, and use it for hand-wash soap. Buy replacement in recyclable bottles."

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