If you have fully embraced "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle," there are two more “Rs" to learn. And, really, the list goes on: refuse, repaint, repurpose, refurbish, reclaim...
Reduce
Don’t create waste if you don’t have to
Here are some examples:
– Save up to thousands of bottles and cans per year and use refillable bottles instead of buying single-use beverage containers
– Select the double-sided copy or print option for documents instead of only using one side of the paper copying
– Use cloth bags at stores and just say NO to paper AND plastic
Reuse
Reuse, share, sell, or give away still usable items
Here are some examples:
– Office and school supplies like binders, binder paper, file folders, and mailing envelopes
– Share gently used clothing and toys your children have outgrown with friends and family
–Clothing, toys, and gardening implements can be donated to thrift stores such as Savers (HOPE Services), Goodwill Industries, and Salvation Army
–See the Moving Resources page for more details and places to donate
Try sharing your items on sites like Next Door and Facebook Marketplace, or join the Buy Nothing and OfferUp sharing communities by downloading their app
Repair
Fix stuff before tossing it and buying new
Here are some examples:
– Buy a knife sharpener and revive those tired knives
– Buy furniture and products that last—repair, repaint, or re-finish them to give them a new look
– Sharpen gardening implements…a sharpened shovel or hoe makes life so much easier
Rot
Kitchen scraps and yard trimmings are too valuable to bury in landfills
– Compost makes great soil. Click here to learn how to compost...
– In each residential trash cart destined for the landfill, approximately 40% of it is food, and it is bulky and heavy
-- Use your green organics cart to recycle yard waste and food scraps
– Households that recycle their organic waste can save money on monthly disposal fees by reducing the size of their trash container to a smaller size!
– Children love to compost and can learn so much about science when encouraged to participate in the composting process
Recycle
Last but not least, if you absolutely cannot do something else with your stuff, find a way to recycle it
– Buy in bulk to eliminate excess packaging that needs to be recycled
– Recycle your bottles and cans in your blue mixed recycling cart or at a local buyback center to get your deposit of 5 and 10 cents returned
– Get off all the junk mail lists you are on (Learn more here...)
