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Reduce
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Reduce is the highest priority in the waste management hierarchy. Waste reduction is defined as decreasing the quantity and toxicity of material that is generated and then thrown away.
This means buy less! That's right. If we buy less, we'll create less garbage. For example, buying bulk foods and items with less packaging reduces waste.
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Buy locally
Products from your own community require less packaging than ones shipped from far away.
Buy the ingredients
Prepared foods and consumer goods use more packaging than those made "from scratch".
Bring your own
Avoid depending on stores to provide carry-out bags and coffee cups.
Where possible bring packaging back to industry operated recycling depots or stewardship programs.
Support regulation that would require producers to take responsibility for packaging (e.g. deposit/refund programs or industry operated recycling depots).
Is this wrapping necessary?
Remember that wrenches, screwdrivers, nails, and other hardware are often available in loose bins. At the grocery, consider whether it is necessary to purchase items such as tomatoes, garlic, and mushrooms in prepackaged containers when they can be bought unpackaged.
In other words ...buy your products NAKED!
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Buy in bulk
Single-serve, convenience packaging saves time -- but costs more in the long term. Whenever possible, select grocery, hardware, and household items that are available in bulk. Bulk merchandise may also be shared with friends or neighbors.
Buy from responsible producer
Encourage stores and wholesalers to find local suppliers and suppliers who reuse and recycle their transport packaging.
Be choosy
When choosing between two similar products, select the one with the least unnecessary packaging.
Speak up!
Recognize and support store managers when they stock products with no packaging or reduced packaging. Let clerks know when it's not necessary to double wrap a purchase.
Concentrate
Consider whether concentrated products are appropriate for your needs. They often require less packaging and less energy to transport to the store, saving money as well as natural resources. |
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Buy Big
Consider large or economy-size items for household products that are used frequently, such as laundry soap, shampoo, baking soda, pet foods, and cat litter. These sizes usually have less packaging per unit of product. For food items, choose the largest size that can be used before spoiling.
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Resist throwaways
No matter how "convenient" they seem -- there is no such place as "away".
Invest in your possessions
Spend a little extra on products that will last.
Respect the needs of charities
Repair your hand-me-downs before you pass them along to the needy.
Pool your resources
Make arrangements with a friend or relative to share ownership of items you use only on occasion.
Reuse wood
Reuse leftover scraps of wood for small woodworking projects like building a birdhouse.
Plan
Plan your projects and purchases carefully to produce the least amount of waste as possible. Remember, it's YOUR tax dollars that pay for waste handling.
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Recognize the value of "previously owned" items
Check your local Yellow Pages for secondhand shopping options; check your newspaper for garage sales.
Maintain your investment
Take care of the things you buy -- so that they will last!
Rent or borrow instead of buying
Consider renting or borrowing tools that you'll use infrequently. Rental shops provide community economic opportunity, as well as conserving resources.
Grasscycle
Grasscycle as much as possible by leaving your clippings on the lawn. They'll disappear in 2 days or so providing fertilizer, protection from the sun and it's less work for you! Learn more about Grasscycling.
Compost
Remember to compost any kind of yard waste making sure you have a good mix of brown and green material. Give your composter a good stir once a week and keep it slightly damp. Learn more about composting.
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Get organized
If you've always meant to, but never got around to it, summer is a great time to finally organize your home recycling system. An easy way that requires minimal sorting at home and at your depot is the following:
#1 Box - Aluminum, Tin, Glass, Plastics
#2 Box - Mixed Paper
#3 Box - Newspaper, Cardboard, Magazines.
There are lots of ways to make recycling a regular part of your lifestyle
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Precycle (pre-saikel)
definition: to make informed and environmentally sound purchasing decisions that will reduce the amount and toxicity of household waste before it enters the home. |
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How do I precycle?
- Buy the product with the least packaging
- Re-use plastic bags and containers
- Buy in bulk using containers brought from home
- Reduce packaging by choosing the largest size you can use
- Use a cloth shopping bag
- Avoid purchasing disposable products (razors, diapers, pens etc.) and products sold in disposable packages
- Choose products designed for re-use (re-chargeable batteries, cloth napkins)
- Compost organic waste. For more information on composting, click here
- Look for products which display the environmentally friendly "Eco Logo" (three birds)
Shopper's Precycling Checklist
- Do I really need this product?
- Is the package reusable or recyclable?
- Is there a similar product with less or no packaging?
- How long will this product last?
- Would it be better to rent or borrow this item?
- Can this product be repaired rather than discarded?
- Will the disposal of this product or its container be a hazard to the environment? Is there a safe alternative?
- Is this product produced locally or available from a local source?
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Solid Waste Facts
In 1990 British Columbians disposed of 81% of solid waste and recycled only 19%. By 1999 we disposed of only 58% and recycled 42%.
Residents of the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) generated more than 24,000 tonnes of garbage in 1989. By 1999 we had reduced that amount to 19,886 tonnes.
Packaging makes up fully 1/3 of all garbage.
Packaging accounts for 13% of the price you pay for food and other grocery items.
Organic food and yard waste accounts for 34% (by weight) of all household garbage.
The production of paper, aluminum and glass from recycled materials can reduce the consumption of energy by up to 95%, the consumption of water by up to 50%, air pollution by 95%, and can reduce water pollution by up to 97%! This also means a large reduction in the production of Greenhouse Gases which contribute to global warming.
Plastic and styrofoam packages which are produced from non-renewable petroleum products and many highly toxic chemicals are not biodegradable. They may break down in size, but they don't go away. Avoid them like quicksand. |
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One catch all address you can write to reduce your unsolicited addressed mail is:
Canadian Direct Marketing Association
1 Concorde Gate, Suite 607
Don Mills, Ontario
M3C 3N6
Just ask them to remove your name from any of their member's mail lists. It may be hard to believe, but even Columbia House will eventually remove your name from their mail list after you send them a letter or two. This is because of one Canadian family who took them to court over their junk mail and won! But, only if you write.
It is not guaranteed that any of these ideas will work totally to your satisfaction. However, they should result in at least a noticeable decrease in your junk mail.
Any junk mail you do get, make sure you put it in the recycle bins either in your post office or at home.
Remember our goal is Zero Waste !!
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