Act Responsibly, Think Sustainably

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle is a great action plan to reduce waste production. Instead of starting with recycling, start at the beginning by reducing.

Reduce: Less pollution is the best solution.

Reducing the use of disposable consumables helps decrease the amount of material that ends up as waste.

Some easy steps to help reduce

• Print on both sides of paper to reduce paper waste
• Use email to reach out to people instead of sending paper mail
• Reduce your use of disposable plates, cups, silverware, and napkins
• Use less plastic bags, start buying reusable bags
• Start relying on reusable containers
• Read electronic newspapers and magazines
• Carpool, ride a bike, or take public transportation to work

Reuse:  Don’t throw it away, if it can be used in some other way.

If reducing does not meet your everyday needs, reusing an existing product can reduce the amount of waste that is produced.

Some easy steps to help reuse:

• Newspaper: Newspaper can be used to pack and protect boxed items when moving to a new location
• Paper: Partially written-on paper can be used to make notes
• Grocery bags: Cloth reusable bags are available and can reduce the amount of plastic needed for plastic bags
• Books: Books can be donated to public libraries or charitable organizations
• Clothing: Clothing can be passed on to friends and family or donated to charitable organizations
• Rechargeable batteries: Rechargeable batteries are a great alternative to single-use batteries

Recycle: Recycle takes little effort on your part, for a big difference to our world.

As a last resort, products should be recycled.

• Buy products from stores that are made up of recycled materials if possible
• Buy products in containers that that can be recycled such as glass jars
• Invent new ways to recycle different items
• Avoid buying hazardous materials that would be difficult to recycle. Buy non-toxic products whenever possible.
• Use recycled paper for printing or making paper handicrafts

General Materials that you can and should recycle

• Aluminum Cans
• Plastic Bottles
• Cardboard
• Magazines/Newspapers
• Office Paper