Wasn’t there just an America Recycles Day last year? Sure, and now it’s come around again. That’s the whole point.

Today really is America Recycles Day, a day set aside to increase public awareness of the country’s need to reduce waste, recycle and buy recycled products. America Recycles Day is intended to challenge Americans to be better consumers by changing the way they think about what they throw away. 

Last year, city officials say, Cambridge residents recycled 6,460 tons of paper waste. This year they are urging them to “try to a little bit harder” by asking everyone to make a special effort to recycle just 30 more pounds of paper a year.

Their slogan: “If it rips, recycle it” — as long as it is free from food and plastic wrapping.

Make a commitment to recycle all paper waste, the officials say, including magazines and newspapers, phone books, junk mail and paperboard products such as cereal boxes. There’s no need to remove staples, paper clips, spirals, plastic windows on envelopes or even the plastic spout on milk and juice cartons. Recycling paper is easy, they say, and a little effort can make a big difference.

The city urges residents to recycle cardboard, too, noting that to flatten and break down cardboard boxes, people can look for the weak point on one of the inside corner and rip at the seam.