Here are some great tips we have collected to help you Recycle and Conserve:
Recycle all you can. In many countries, recycling is taken seriously. They have one trash can for bags, one for glass, one for cans, one for boxes, one for plastic, one for paper, even one for decomposed food. Try disciplining yourself to recycling the necessities we use when done.
Avoid using disposable items. Anything you use only a few times and throw away consumes resources only to spend centuries in a landfill.
- Carry your own reusable cup or water bottle, eating utensils, and cloth shopping bags with you. Keep them in your car or bike panniers.
- Don't take a plastic bag if you don't need one. If you only got one or two things, you don't need a bag.
- Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries. Batteries not only take up landfill space (they can't be incinerated), they can leak acid into the Earth. Even then, only use the appliance when you must. If you have the choice, plug in the device instead of using batteries.
- Make sure to dispose properly of any batteries you discard, including rechargable batteries that are past their usable lives.
Avoid using plastic whenever you can. Steer clear of things like disposable plastic cups, plastic bags, and any item you don't need. It never breaks down, and has led to the poisoning and death of numerous sea creatures. Look into ways that plastic can be recycled in your area. Some cities have programs for recycling plastic bags and other difficult to recycle types of plastic.
- Use resealable, reusable containers instead of plastic wrap or plastic bags.
Coordinate recycling with your neighbors and friends. If the local recycling depot is at some distance, make a single drop-off spot in your neighborhood, where people can bring their recyclables, then use just one car to drive them to the depot. A garage is a good place to store things until they are taken. You might have different neighbors responsible for different kinds of recyclables, such as paper, glass, metal, etc.
Donate or share usable household items rather than sending them to a landfill.
- Join your local chapter of www.freecycle.org. These groups offer unwanted or unneeded household stuff for free to each other, usually through a Yahoo! Group. Keep your unwanted stuff out of the landfill and in the hands of someone who will actually USE it. You will make someone happy, and the earth happier too! Craigslist.org is another useful resource for buying, selling, and giving away used items locally.
- Donate your usable clothes and household items to charity. Many will send a truck for pickup.
- Use the for sale and free lists on Craigslist.
- Hold a garage sale.
