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.
Use only as much toilet paper as you need. Don't unwind a mile of it for one little wipe. Be reasonable. Go easy on the paper towels, too, and use a washable cloth or sponge for most of your kitchen cleanup.
- For the paper products you do use, look for products made from 80-100% recycled paper, preferably with a high post consumer content.
Consider cloth diapers. They've come a long way from the things with pins and plastic covers that gen x-ers and previous generations wore. You will save a fortune (especially if you have more than one child), keep potentially dangerous chemicals away from your baby's bottom, and do a good thing for the planet while you're at it.
Use reusable cloth pads, or a menstrual cup. It may sound strange to reuse these kinds of things, but imagine all the pads and tampons you use in your lifetime all piled up.
- If for some reason these are not options for you, consider using tampons and pads made of unbleached, organic cotton, and tampons without plastic applicators. These are better for your health as well as the planet.
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.
Don't waste food. The best way is to use up your leftovers and plan your meals so you buy no more than you need. If you do have an overrun, share it with friends or (if appropriate) with local wildlife.
Buy secondhand clothes. Or if you have a neighbor with a child a year or so older than your child, ask if they can send their old clothes to you.
- You can also find many "organic clothes" at common department stores. These clothes are made with organic cotton in a more environmentally friendly factories.
Stop your junk mail from coming. If you get several catalogs which you do not need, then call one company each day or each week and ask for them to stop sending this to you. This will save trees, and will use less energy, as something you do not need will not have to be made and transported to you. There is sometimes more paper in the local newspaper that you would use in 2 months. Remember to recycle the old newspapers, or the ones that you do not need anymore.
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.
Use reusable bottles for water. Most tap water in developed countries is safe to drink, and most cities can supply a water quality report if you are concerned. Buy a glass or metal bottle and use it for a long time. It will not rot or go bad like a plastic bottle will. You could decrease the amount of water bottles in the garbage dumps if you use one glass bottle instead of 30 plastic water bottles per week. Glass bottles are also healthy.
