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Reusing, Reducing & Recycling Methods

Organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Defense Council urge people to find ways to reuse the containers products come in, reduce the toxicity of the trash they throw away and recycle as much as they can. Doing so takes knowledge of product packaging, awareness when making purchases or throwing out the trash and a desire to make the planet a better place.

  1. Stop Creating Trash

    • Remember to take a reusable cloth grocery bag to the store to shop, or buy one. Don’t use the plastic or paper bags offered at the store. Examine items and their packaging before buying a product. If the product is in a box, wrapped in plastic or packaged on Styrofoam flats or in Styrofoam packaging, look for a similar product with less packaging or the least toxic packaging. These will have a symbol on them that indicates they are recyclable.

    Choose Reusable Packaging

    • Zero packaging is best. When something must be packaged, choose packaging that can either be reused or recycled. The same idea applies to containers that are used for leftovers or for repackaging products that are bought in bulk and must be separated into smaller portions. Plastic baggies or containers should only be purchased if they have a recyclable symbol on the box or bottom of the tub. With this strategy, it is possible to prevent or delay the refuse from going to the landfill.

    Send Containers Back to Manufacturers

    • Recycling cans, bottles, newspapers and plastics is a means of sending the material back to be melted, remolded and reused by manufacturers. Some recycling facilities don’t take every kind of material there is to recycle. Look for packaging marked #1 (PET or PETE) or #2 (HDPE); packaging made from these resins is easier to recycle. Call around and find a facility that will take hard to recycle products. If all else fails, call the manufacturer of the product and ask for information that will help you find the appropriate recycling facility.

    Compost Yard Trimmings

    • Yard trimmings and food scraps make up 26 percent of landfills. It is possible to reduce the burden by using microorganisms to compost the material. Compost is especially beneficially to gardeners. With natural compost, gardeners can be more confident that nothing toxic is being used in their vegetable gardens. There are several ways to compost depending on the amount of space that is available. There are compost piles designed above the ground and below the ground.

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