In thinking about America Recycles Day on Friday, it’s worth sharing an excerpt of an article from Natural Resources Defense Council with an important message. The average American generates 4.5 pounds of trash every day. Although even recycling comes with environmental costs, compared to landfilling, recycling is the clear environmental winner. However, waste prevention is even better. So start by cutting down on what you use in the first place. Reduce should always be the number-one priority. Think more conscientiously about your everyday habits and develop new routines.
Buy well-made products and borrow the items that you rarely use. When you purchase long-lasting clothes, housewares, and electronics, you’ll trash them less often. Even better, when possible, borrow or buy used goods from friends, neighbors, consignment shops, garage sales, flea markets, and secondhand e-commerce sites first — especially for things like Halloween costumes or that power washer you’ll use just once or twice. If you have kids, always say yes to hand-me-downs. And as items are outgrown, pass them on or resell them.
Before you purchase anything, ask: Is this (say, a garlic press) a thing I need? Or is there another item I can use or repurpose for the same task (like that kitchen knife)? Get creative. Need wrapping paper? Use pages torn from catalogs, the Sunday comics, or even an old road atlas.
Cut plastic and single-use items out of your daily routine.
Choose a toothbrush with a replaceable head to avoid having to throw out the handle each time you need a new one.
Invest in a reusable metal razor with a replaceable, recyclable head. (Back in 1990, the EPA estimated Americans tossed two billion disposable razors. And our population has grown by about 75 million people since then.)
Buy hair-care products and soaps in economy sizes and decant them to smaller, reusable containers when needed. (The same goes for laundry detergent and cleaning products. Also, look for options sold in concentrate.)
Ditch the plastic wrap, small plastic bags, and aluminum foil when possible. Instead, opt for reusable foo containers and carry lightweight reusable bags — keep a set in your car — to replace plastic shopping bags.
Stock up on washable towels and cloth napkins instead of paper towels and napkins.
Carry reusable, BPA-free water bottles and reusable coffee mugs.
Get stainless steel or other reusable straws for your smoothies and iced coffee. Plastic straws are not typically recyclable and endanger marine life.
Keep a set of reusable cutlery where you work for use during lunch breaks.
Slay food waste — and food-packaging waste. On average, Americans toss out a staggering 400 pounds of food per person every year. Our wasted food produces more greenhouse gas emissions each year than 37 million cars. And that’s not our only wasteful food-related habit. We also tend to prefer our food in convenient, single-serving sizes, shrink-wrapped or accompanied by lots of plastic accessories. Commit to freezing more and wasting less, getting more out of your kitchen stash, and calming your impulse to dump anything in your fridge that isn’t super-fresh.
Eating (or taking) out: If you’re likely to take home leftovers from a restaurant, bring a reusable container from home rather than asking your server to box up the rest of your meal in something disposable. And when you’re ordering takeout, ask the restaurant to leave out any disposable utensils, plates, stacks of napkins and packages of condiments you won’t need.
Grocery runs: Shop from bulk bins for flour, nuts, dried fruit, cereal, beans, rice, and other staples. Take lightweight mesh bags for produce. And for packaged food favorites — pretzels, crackers, cheese — forgo snack packs and buy the largest size you know you will eat before it spoils.
Recycle and compost all you can — and do it correctly. To reap the environmental benefits of “recyclable”
and “compostable” goods, learn exactly what you can place in the recycling bin. If community composting isn’t available where you live, consider doing it in your own backyard. Speaking of the yard, in 2014 Americans contributed 34.5 million tons of yard trimmings — grass, brush, and leaves — to the waste stream. Do your part to reduce that amount by composting those trimmings, leaving grass clippings on the ground where they can decompose into a natural fertilizer, or joining the no-mow movement.
Designate a spot in your closet to collect clothing to donate. If you have a home office, station a paper recycling bin right by your desk, and set up a box for other recyclable items like batteries and printer cartridges. When it’s time to part with old electronics, look for drop-off events like Tox-Away Days (sponsored by your local solid waste management district) where you can hand over your discards to a certified company. Visit www.westcentralswd.com for more details on programs, dates and locations. One person can make a difference.
Jane Collisi of West Central Solid Waste District contributed this column to the Journal Review.
