Americans throw out a lot of stuff – millions of tons per year. In 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency explained that each person in the United States averages about 4.48 pounds of waste a day.
 
So which items should go straight into the trash? What is okay to recycle curbside, and what needs to be recycled elsewhere? Does “solid waste” even have to mean solid? (Answer: No. Waste in this context can be semi-solid, liquid or even gaseous.)
 
The Safety, Health and Consumer Council (SHCC) has assembled guidelines on disposal and recycling, including links on where to drop off medications, batteries and cellphones, needles and sharps, and much more.