Waste Reduction

SOLID WASTE REDUCTION 

 Recycling should be the last option, not the first. Remember the mantra:

  1. Refuse - ask yourself, do I need this item? Refuse to buy products that are made of plastic or otherwise non-environmentally friendly
  2. Reduce - reduce the amount of products, packaging, etc.
  3. Reuse - reuse as many items as possible as many times as possible. If you have no use for an item, you can donate it to a charity
  4. Repurpose - an item whose primary function may be obsolete could potentially be upcycled into a different use
  5. Recycle - when there is no other alternative, then recycle the item

Thrift stores and online sites such as Craigslist, FreeCycle, etc. and social media platforms such as Buy Nothing provide opportunities to find and give gently used items, keeping them out of the waste stream.