If you are still having trouble firming up some New Year’s resolutions that you can actually keep, consider recycling.

Often, people are hesitant to recycle because they think that it will be too time-consuming, too messy or just plain too much trouble. In reality, if you start with just one or two items, you may realize that recycling will work quite comfortably in your busy lifestyle.

Here are some easy tips for incorporating recycling in your home.

It is simple. The trick is to figure out how to make recycling work in your lifestyle and in your home layout. Some families keep recycle bins or canisters in their kitchen cabinets or garage. But, if your home is like ours, that may not work. Our kitchen is a compact area that works for just the two of us, but it leaves no room for extra space for recycle bins. Our carport is also open. So we recycle by being recycle bin free.

We keep our items for recycling in separate reusable recycling bags that we hang on cabinet knobs until we take them out to the nearest county recycling drop-off site. We simply take a bag or two when we are on an errand out that way or when we take our regular garbage. Bags work really in areas with drop-off recycling sites. They also work well in small locations, like dorm rooms and small apartments, too.

You don’t have to have bins, but if you have your heart set on bins, just find containers that are a good size for your family’s needs. There are affordable containers that can work, like some stackable bins — from $5 to $10 each — from many stores.

We actually have recycling bags available to give away to interested citizens. If you would like a set of four, just contact us at Keep Liberty Beautiful.

Another point to consider is how much recycling you may accumulate. Our kids are grown, so we have far less garbage than we did when the boys were growing up. We also use few single serving items, except water bottles on occasion and Lindsay’s beer bottles. We use reusable drink bottles for portable water, Lindsay’s coffee addiction, and my tea addiction. So — for us — bags work because they fit our lifestyle and consumption habits. They are also easy to carry since we have drop sites in our county.

Here are my ‘top 10’ easy-to-recycle items:

Clear plastic containers PET 1 and 2 — water, soda bottles, etc.

Colored plastics — some soda bottles

Clear glass bottles — drink bottles and some food containers

Colored glass (brown and green) — some soda bottles and beer bottles

Aluminum cans — drink cans

"Tin" cans — food cans, like for canned green beans

Newspapers — including the advertising inserts

Paper — computer and copy paper

Magazines

Plastic shopping bags — some stores have bins set up for returning these bags

Always rinse out containers you are recycling. It will eliminate any concerns about bugs or smells.

Remember, all those inserts in newspapers can also be recycled with the newspaper. If you have paper or shredded paper, just deposit the paper in a bag in the newspaper section.

The items can be dropped off at any Liberty County recycling drop-off site. Just deposit them in the bins designated for each type of item. Here are the Liberty County Solid Waste Convenience Centers and Recycling Drop-off Sites:

• 25 South Dairy Road (SR 196W, Gumbranch)

• 156 Pate Rogers Road (Fleming)

• 836 Limerick Road (Lake George)

• 64 Left Field Road (Highway 84, Miller Park)

• 619 J V Road (west of Hinesville)

• 50 Isle of Wight Road (Midway)

• 344 Ft Morris Road (East End, Sunbury)

• 111 Carter Road (behind Carter Funeral Home)

• 129 Sandy Run (off Highway 84, east Hinesville)

• 941 E.G. Miles Parkway (Highway 196 at Training Center)

• 4000 Coastal Hwy. (Highway 17, Riceboro)

• If you live in Walthourville, contact the city hall about recycling pickup.

Recycling is one of those things that easily becomes a habit so — just think — recycling could be your successful resolution for 2017 to help the environment. For more information, contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at 912-880-4888, email klcb@coastalnow.net or check out information on www.keeplibertybeautiful.org.

Swida is director of Keep Liberty Beautiful.