OU students who mean well may actually do harm when they recycle.

The first national America Recycles Day is Nov. 15, and environmentalist organizations across the nation are promoting recycling and the purchase of recycled products.

But promotion is useless without education, said Tom O'Grady, Athens County Recycling Center recycling and litter prevention coordinator.

"The bottom line is if people want to help with recycling they need to become informed," he said.

While observing America Recycles Day, students should keep in mind some common recycling mistakes.

Students might not know that plastic lids and wide-mouth containers, such as yogurt and butter tubs, cannot be recycled, O'Grady said. They are made of plastic that when heated, burns instead of melting, he said. However, small-mouth containers, such as milk, shampoo or detergent bottles, are made of plastic that can be melted and recycled.

The reason wide-mouth containers will not melt is that they are made from molds and must be sturdy. Small-mouth containers must be flexible, because the plastic is inflated when it is made.

Students also might not know that items like pizza boxes and milk jugs cannot be recycled if they are not clean. Workers either leave unclean items on the curb or sort them out and pay extra to have them dumped.

The worst scenario is when workers must sort out hundreds of milk jugs, O'Grady said.

"You can imagine how that smells," he said.

But the number one student mistake that O'Grady finds is in sorting, he said. If students sorted correctly, the recycling trucks would not back- up traffic in the mornings while workers sort materials, he said.

Students should separate magazines from newspapers, white paper from mixed paper and pop bottles from miscellaneous plastics.

The recycling center also takes motor oil, appliances, car batteries and scrap metal. In the past, the center has designated two pick-up times per year at the Athens County Fairgrounds. O'Grady said the center may soon accept direct drop-offs.

Kroger grocery store also accepts plastic bags for recycling, and ReUse Industries accepts clothing, purses, belts, hats, paired shoes and regular recyclables, such as glass and paper.

Bob Harris, an Environmental Protection Agency coordinator for America Recycles Day, said students should also "complete the loop" by buying recycled products.

"Take heed, because it's your future," he said.

Recycled products are easier to find than one might think and are sometimes cheaper than regular products, he said.

Some recycled products may come as a surprise. According to the EPA, the average car has 44 percent recycled steel content. Other recycled products include fiber-fill for sleeping bags, clothing, bulletin boards, push pins, pencils, scissors, carpeting, tiles, building insulation and retread tires.