Heads up: Thursday November 15th is America Recycles Day! And what an awesome day it will be. Recycling has come a long way. We’re approaching a happy moment where lots of Americans appear to have finally realized that recycling is not just the environmentally correct thing to do but also the most efficient and economical way to go as well. And we also all know recycling isn’t just about cans and bottles anymore.

These days there’s almost nothing that can’t be recycled. No matter what’s in your garbage, whether it’s old sneakers, broken cell phones, leftover paint, worn carpet, or even sheep leavings, somebody somewhere can turn it into reusable gold. (Ok, that last example deserves further explanation. Did you know there’s a company in Wales recycling sheep droppings into something called, um, Sheep Poo Paper? Incredible but true!)

With so many composting and recycling programs for even the most obscure items in our lives, we can’t help but think we’re rapidly approaching the point where there won’t be any trash at all. Someday soon virtually all our waste will have some place better to go than a landfill, and then every day will be America Recycles Day.

The trick is matching the trash to the treasure hunter and finding the people and places waiting to reuse or recycle whatever is in our garbage cans. Need help? Our Recycling Actions are a de facto guide to recycling it all. Use them to challenge family and friends to recycle with abandon. Complete just five of them and you’ll even earn our Recycle 5 badge, a perfect way to celebrate the day!