Dig into history and you find that Americans have recycled for centuries.

Two hundred years ago, women in New England villages used to meet at "quilting bees," where they would exchange news, gossip and leftover scraps of cloth that they then stitched into new bedcovers and blankets.

For many of America's early craftsmen, recycling was routine: Paul Revere, a hero of the American Revolution, was a silversmith, a trade that depended on melting down and reusing old silver.

Today, residential recycling has become a way of life in the United States and Europe. Dwindling natural resources such as iron ore, oil, soda ash, limestone, bauxite, and coal has necessitated the recycling of household trash.

Why recycle?

What is recyclable?

To learn about recycling in your city, click on the "Find Your City" button and click on your county. Your city will be listed and more information regarding your city's services is provided.