EcoTrashSolutions

Don’t Forget the First Two Steps

“Reduce, Re-use, Recycle” is a longstanding, simple mantra to explain the process that protects the health of our planet. While the campaign to recycle has certainly caught on across the globe over the past 2 decades, the reducing and re-using parts of the three-pronged strategy are often overlooked. Here are some simple tips and reminders to make sure the first 2 steps are taken care of, before you even recycle your used goods.

1. The process should start at your purchase decision not when you are disposing of old items. A lot of similar products, both in price and function, are packaged very differently. Unless the packaging itself has some sort of intrinsic value you will want to hold on to as a keepsake, choose the one with the least packaging. Once your purchase is unwrapped, the box or bag it came in is more than likely to end up in the bin anyway.
2. A lot of grocery stores now offer re-usable bags, giving you an environmentally sound option when asked “paper or plastic?” Both paper and plastic bags require valuable natural resources for their production, so any way you can cut down on their usage is a step in the right direction.
3. When you do end up with plastic bags, because it is inevitable even the most environmentally conscious consumers will, use them in place of plastic trash bags. Department store and convenience store carry-out bags can easily line a trashcan and can be disposed of in the same manner as well.
4. Just because an item is labeled as “disposable,” it doesn’t mean it has to be thrown away. When possible, avoid tossing plastic cups, bowls and utensils after only a single use. A lot of time these items can be hand washed or re-used as is to increase their lifespan, not bombarding Mother Nature on such a regular basis.