REDUCE-REUSE-RECYCLE

10 Simple Things You Can Do to Reduce Waste

Waste prevention saves energy, conserves natural resources and creates less pollution. Here are just ten ways you can reduce waste:

1. Buy products with little or no packaging. In 1990, the EPA reported that packaging trash amounted to 30 percent of total discards. The fact is that many products, such as bulk foods and hardware items, don't need to be packaged at all. And most products need far simpler packaging. Shop and compare. And choose the item with the least amount of packaging.

2. Use reusable containers for leftovers instead of plastic bags and wraps. Recycle margarine and dessert topping containers for your leftover needs. And if you use aluminum foil, wash and reuse it if you can before recycling it.

3. Reduce your use of paper products. Use sponges and rags instead of paper towels, cloth napkins instead of paper, handkerchiefs instead of tissues, and washable plates and cups instead of paper and Styrofoam.

4. Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Keep paper or cloth bags in the car at all times for unplanned stops. Your choices are not limited to just "paper or plastic."

5. Buy large, economy-sized products. You'll save money and landfill space. Here's an example: buying rolled oats in a 72 oz. bag rather than a 12-pack of individual envelopes cuts waste by 89 percent, and cuts costs by 72 percent!

6. Reuse cardboard boxes. Break down old boxes and keep until needed. Offer them to friends who are moving or donate them to schools, libraries or museums.

7. Send unwanted junk mail back to the sender and ask to be removed from the mailing list.

8. Avoid disposable products such as razors and plastic silverware. For take-out food and drinks, carry a mug and plastic container with you- you may even get a discount for it!

9. Reuse paper products such as envelopes, packing materials, and wrapping paper. Copy on both sides of the paper or use flip side as scrap paper.

10.Donate unwanted items such as clothing, furniture and appliances to charitable organizations.

Did you know? Americans annually generate over 196 million tons of garbage and we're depleting our natural resources in creating this garbage!

What can be Recycled?

Acceptable recyclable materials will vary from city to city. Here is a list of materials that are generally recyclable:

Glass, Bottles and Jars

All clear, green and brown food and beverage containers.
Examples: soda, juice, beer and wine bottles, salad dressing, pickle and mayonnaise jars, etc.

Cans

All aluminum and tin food and beverage containers.
Examples: Soda, beer, juice, tuna, vegetable cans, tin foil, etc.

Plastic Containers

Plastic food, beverage, and detergent containers, usually only those with numbers 1 or 2 printed on the bottom of the container.
Examples: Milk, soda, water, juice, dish soap, laundry detergent and shampoo bottles, etc.

Mixed Paper

Mixed paper consists of any paper that tears - such as:
Paper – white, letterhead, colored, coated, glossy, computer, photocopy, fax, self-adhesive memo notes, loose leaf, and legal pads

Envelopes – plain, windows, labels

Folders – manila, colored, coated

Junk mail – pamphlets, brochures, etc.

Carbonless forms, receipts, shipping invoices

Manuals and paper-backed books with white pages, magazines and newspapers

Cardboard and Paperboard – cereal, pasta, cracker and envelope boxes, paper towel and toilet paper rings

** Paper clips, rubber bands, staples, tape, adhesive labels, plastic tabs, and plastic and wire spirals do not have to be removed from the paper before recycling.

** Break down cardboard and paperboard boxes to conserve space in the recycling bin.

What not to Recycle:

• Drinking glasses, plates, cookware, pottery, window or mirror glass
• Broken glass bottles or jars, light bulbs
• Pots and pans, kitchen utensils
• Plastic bags and aerosol cans
• Styrofoam and microwave containers
• Food related paper and restroom hand towels

**In general, containers that are numbered 3-7 and are not “bottles” such as margarine, yogurt, and ice cream tubs and microwavable meal containers are not accepted. Check with your local company to see what is accepted in your area.

**Do not throw phone books into recycling containers. They should be recycled separately.

How to Get Started

• The first step is to check with your city or waste collection company about their recycling programs.
  
  Many cities have curb-side recycling available, but in some areas you may have to seek out a community recycling center to drop off your recyclables. You can stockpile these items in the garage and make one trip a month to the recycling center that accepts them.
• Call your collection company for a list of clear guidelines on what you can recycle.
  
  Just because your city doesn’t pick up all recyclables, it doesn’t mean there are not viable alternatives nearby. Check with your local public works department, civic organizations, dry cleaners, supermarkets and local manufacturers to find our where recycled goods can be dropped off at a location near you.
• Set aside and label separate bins for recycling and place the bins in the rooms where you use the products.
• Empty and rinse out cans/glass/plastic before placing in bins.
• Separate cans, glass, plastics and paper items into labeled bins.
• Post lists of recyclable materials in the office or residence so all may be aware of what can be recycled.
• Inform guests or visitors about your recycling program so they can participate in recycling during their stay.

Some Facts About Recycling

Pollution

Recycling reduces air and water pollution. Making products from recycled materials creates less pollution than manufacturing products from virgin materials.

Making paper from waste paper produces 73% less air pollutants and uses 61% less process water than when paper is made from virgin fiber.

Forests

More than half a million trees are consumed to produce the Sunday newspaper each week -- 57 percent of these newspapers are never recycled.

This loss of trees results in increased erosion, which damages aquatic life; as well as the air we breathe, as trees absorb carbon dioxide and add oxygen to the atmosphere.

Almost one billion trees a year are used for making paper. Recycling this paper after it's been used will extend the life of our valuable forests.

Energy

Paper made from paper instead of virgin fiber requires up to 70% less energy. Recycling one ton of plastic saves the equivalent of 380 gallons of oil or 1,000 to 2,000 gallons of gasoline.

In the US, we throw away enough paper to build a 12 ft high wall from New York to Los Angeles. Recycling just one ton of paper saves the equivalent of 460 gallons of oil and 17 trees, and eliminates 60 pounds of air pollution.

Cost

Recycling is not only good for the environment, it's good for the economy -- yours and the community's.

Recent estimates indicated that packaging accounts for 13 percent of all food costs -- that adds up to $500 a year for the average family. So shopping for products with minimal packaging can really add up. And recycling saves everyone's tax dollars. Every pound of material that's recycled is a pound that the city won't have to pay for to dispose in a landfill.

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Interested in Composting?

Composting is the controlled decomposition of organic materials, such as leaves, grass, and food scraps, by microorganisms. The result of this decomposition process is a compost - a crumbly, earth-smelling, soil-like material. It is a convenient way to reduce the volume of trash a household produces and provides a valuable product that can enhance the soil and increase the growth and health of a yard.

More than 67% of the municipal solid waste produced in the U.S. (including paper) is compostable material.

Yard trimmings and food scraps make up about 25% of the waste U.S. households generate, so composting can greatly reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or incinerators.

What can be put in the mix?

These are some items that can be put in a composting bin. Some food products should not be included because they attract pests or compromise the quality of the compost. This list is not meant to be all inclusive.

Materials to Include

Fruit and vegetable scraps
Egg shells
Tea bags
Fireplace ash
Leaves, grass, yard clippings
Vacuum cleaner lint
Coffee grounds and filters

Materials to Exclude

Meats and fish scraps
Dairy foods
Oils (including mayo and peanut butter)
Diseased plants
Bones

• www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/compost/index.htm
• www.smartgardening.com/Composting_Methods.htm
• www.a-horizon.com/compost/how_to_compost.html
• www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-8100.html
• www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/Reports/advrec.html
• www.1800cleanup.org/
• http://condor.stcloudstate.edu/~dmichael/eco/