BUY SMART
Whenever you buy over-packaged or disposable products, you're essentially
buying trash. Every year, each of us produces nearly 1600 pounds of trash,
most of which still goes to landfills and incinerators.
Americans are recycling more, which is great, but there's an even more
effective way to cut down on waste: Simply stated, prevent it.
You prevent waste whenever you reduce your purchases of disposable and
over-packaged items or reuse more of what you already have. It's easy!
WASTE LESS
When you use less and reuse more, you're helping the
environment both "upstream" (when products are manufactured) and
"downstream" (when they're disposed of).
By not creating waste--in the form of unnecessary products or
packaging--we don't just avoid having to send it to landfills or
incinerators. We also avoid having to expend the energy, consume the
natural resources, and create the pollution that comes from manufacturing
it in the first place.
So choose products that you can use over and over again, and avoid
excess packaging. The shopping tips on these pages show you how.
SAVE MORE
Environmental and economic benefits often go hand in hand, and
waste prevention is a prime example. When you cut down on trash, you and
your community can save on the cost of waste collection and management.
You also avoid the cost of replacing throwaway items over and over again.
So think ahead when you buy, and put "Reduce and Reuse" at
the top of your shopping list. And remember, when you've done all you can
to prevent waste in the first place, recycle what's left! |
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BUY RECYCLED...AND SAVE
Thanks to you, recycling is working! The proof is that the paper,
plastic, metal, and glass that you've been recycling is now being made
into all sorts of everyday products and packages. There's just one thing
left to do: Buy them!
That's the "cycle" in recycling: You
sort out recyclable materials, your city or town hauler collects them,
the items are processed and manufacturers buy them to make into products
again. By selecting those products when you shop, you can spur companies
to use more recycled materials and keep the ball rolling.
Save Natural Resources
By making products from recycled materials instead of virgin materials, we
reduce the need to cut down trees, drill for oil, and dig for minerals.
Save Energy
It usually takes less energy to make recycled products: recycled aluminum,
for example, takes 95% less energy to make than new aluminum from bauxite
ore.
Save Clean Air and Water
In most cases, making products from recycled materials creates less air
pollution and water pollution than making products from virgin materials.
Save Landfill Space
When the materials that you recycle go into new products, they don't go
into landfills or incinerators, so scarce landfill space is conserved.
Save Money and Create Jobs
The recycling process creates far more jobs than landfills or
incinerators, and recycling can frequently be the least expensive waste
management method for cities and towns. |
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