Every year, tons of material that could be recycled isn’t, and ends up clogging our already overwhelmed dumps, waterways and roadsides.

Most people think it’s a difficult undertaking to organize a recycling center at home. However, with some creativity and commitment, it can be easy to do. And you’ll feel better about yourself for having done your part to care for the environment.

Find a convenient place in your home or apartment for your recycling center. It doesn’t take a lot of space to store your recyclables. The garage, a storage closet, a corner of the kitchen, or under your kitchen sink are all great locations.

Find and clearly label containers in which to store your recycled materials. Plastic buckets, storage containers or even trash cans work well depending on the amount of room you have available.

Get your family actively involved in the recycling process. Make sure they are all aware of what products can be recycled. Teach them the difference between the tin can bin and the aluminum can bin. While doing their weekly chores, teach them to be on the lookout for recyclable material lying around the house, and encourage them to place it in the proper storage bins.

Encourage them to come up with ideas for reducing the amount of recycled material that’s consumed by your household. Take them along with you to the recycling center in your neighborhood so they can witness the process firsthand. Show them how they can reuse recyclable materials in their own organizational efforts at home. Perhaps a large cardboard box can double as a bin for all their shoes, or a coffee can could be repurposed as a penny bank.

When they learn the money that can be both saved and earned from recycling and reusing products, they’ll have developed an environmentally healthy and thrifty habit for life.