According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces approximately 1,600 pounds of trash per year. Too much of the trash going into landfills contains material that can be recycled instead.

More than 4 billion pounds of plastics are recycled in the United States annually, saving enough energy to heat more than 2.1 million homes.

Here are a few simple tips for recycling plastic bottles and bags on Earth Day (April 22) and throughout the year.

•Be plastics smart. Find out which plastics are recycled in the community. Though recycling varies across communities, most curbside programs collect plastic bottles and many grocery stores recycle plastic bags.

•Recycle milk jugs; beverage bottles for water, soft drinks, juice, beer; shampoo, toiletry, detergent and household-cleaning bottles; salad dressing, cooking oil and condiment bottles; food jars for peanut butter and mayonnaise.

•Recycle grocery and retail shopping bags, newspaper bags, dry-cleaning bags, bread bags, wraps from paper towels, napkins, bathroom paper and cases of soda.

•Recycle only clean and empty bottles and bags. Unless directed otherwise, remove bottle caps. Do not recycle bags that have food residue or material that has been painted or glued.

•Many bottles and bags are used away from home, so remember to bring them back to the recycle bin. Store items in a backpack or briefcase, or leave them in the car until arriving home or at the grocery store.

•While many recyclable bottles come from the kitchen, don't forget to check bathrooms and the laundry room for recyclable plastics, such as shampoo and detergent bottles.

•When in doubt, leave it out. Mixing the wrong types of materials can lower the quality of the recyclables, so include only acceptable items. Avoid recycling items such as toys; automotive, pesticide or solvent bottles, or the pumps from spray bottles (the bottles themselves should be recycled).

Remember that recycled plastics are valuable and go on to become secondgeneration products. Bottles are used to make hundreds of everyday items, including carpets and fleece jackets. Plastic bags can be made into durable backyard decks, fences, benches, shopping carts and new bags.

For more information, visit the websites www.plasticsinfo .org/recycling and www .plasticbagrecycling.org.

This article provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.