Happy America Recycles Day!

File: Shawn Wright, Waste & recycling News Hundreds of thousands of Americans will take part today in events for America Recycles Day. What are your plans?

All right, fellow recyclers, it's finally Nov. 15.

We all know what that means, right? It's America Recycles Day!

From universities to businesses to local grassroots efforts in U.S. communities, people are pledging to do their part to recycle.

Since last year, nearly 33,000 people have pledged on the official America Recycles Day website to recycle more. In reality, there are hundreds of thousands doing their part during the daylong event sponsored by Keep America Beautiful, a nonprofit volunteer-based community action organization dedicated to recycling, waste reduction and litter prevention.

America Recycles Day started in 1997 and is the only nationally recognized day in the U.S. dedicated to encouraging all of us to recycle and be better environmental stewards.

If you have time today, check here to see if there are any events taking place in your area you can get involved in. And recycling goes way beyond separating your paper, plastics, metals and e-waste. Now, composting food scraps and organic waste is becoming a priority for cities and communities.

Even corporations are being asked to do their part on this day (hopefully, the other 364 days as well). Keep America Beautiful is inviting businesses and governments to commit to a 10% increase in workplace recycling and sign up for its Recycling at Work pledge.

The pledge requires businesses, governments and institutional entities – such as school and hospitals – to commit to a 10% increase in the recycling of paper products, beverage containers, electronics and batteries in the workplace through a variety of actions by 2015. It also encourages the recycling of food waste and other biodegradables.

America Recycles Day's national sponsors include Waste Management Inc., American Chemistry Council, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Earth911, Glad, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé Waters North America, Owens-Illinois Inc. and PepsiCo.

In the end, not only should there be an America Recycles Day but an America Reuse Day or America Reduce Day. Anything that brings awareness is a good thing.

So, what will you do this Nov. 15 to make America Recycles Day something to remember? More importantly, what will you recycle more on Nov. 16 and beyond?