| Tips |
| There are many opportunities available for helping
reduce waste. Waste reduction can be accomplished
in your backyard, in your kitchen, even as you go
to the store. It just a matter of knowing what steps
to take. We have provided some simple tips below.
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| In Your Yard |
| Composting |
| Composting is the natural process of decomposing
organic material, like leaves or grass clippings.
Bacteria and insects consume this material leaving
nutrient rich soil. Composting has been going on
in forests since the beginning of time and can easily
be done in your backyard. A major advantage of composting
for any gardener is that the home-grown compost
can be used instead of commercial fertilizers and
mulches. |
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| Grasscycling |
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| Grasscycling is the natural
practice of leaving clippings on the lawn
when mowing. This can save time, money and
other resources like landfill space. The clippings
quickly decompose, returning nutrients to
the soil. Proper turf management, in conjunction
with the practice of grasscycling, can reduce
water and fertilizer requirements, mowing
time, and disposal costs. By grasscycling
you can help Mow Down Pollution! |
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| Xeriscaping |
| Xeriscaping
means simply landscaping with slow growing, drought
tolerant plants to conserve water and reduce yard
trimmings. |
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| In Your Kitchen |
| Food Waste Reduction |
| Vermicomposting
is composting food waste using worms. Composting
through the use of worms in your own backyard, or
school, is a very simple way to turn garbage into
a useful product called worm castings that can help
brighten up the flower beds and improve the food
output of the vegetable garden. Composting using
worms is also a great children’s science project!
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| At the Store |
| Look for Less Packaging
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| Of all the garbage we generate,
1/3 is packaging that gets thrown away immediately.
Buy in bulk or concentrate form when possible,
and avoid excessive packaging layers. Avoid
disposable products such as juice boxes or
single serving snacks. Since almost all products
require some packaging, choose ones with packaging
that is recyclable. |
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Use a Cloth Shopping
Bag |
Paper or Plastic?
Bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store
and you won’t have to make that tough
choice. Cloth bags are stronger than paper
and plastic bags, and won't contribute to
the tons of unnecessary trash in our landfills
since you can use them over and over again.
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| Purchase Reusable Containers |
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uy groceries like juice, lunch supplies
and condiments with reusable containers in
mind. Juices can be purchased in concentrate
form to be mixed in your own reusable containers.
You can reduce a tremendous amount of lunch
waste by avoiding single serving containers.
Reusing also extends a product's life span.
When we reuse products, we don't have to waste
valuable natural resources in their creation,
and a substantial volume of waste is diverted
from the landfills. There are four ways you
can practice reuse in your home:
• Avoid disposable products
•
Find new uses for common household items
• Purchase durable, long-lasting products
• Find a second life for durable
products |
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| Buy Recycled |
| Purchasing products made with recycled
material helps turn those cans, bottles, and
paper collected at curbside into products we can
use every day. The packaging on many products lists
whether recycled material is used. Buying these
products helps "close the loop," and because
these products use fewer resources, you will be
helping the environment. If you’re not buying
recycled products, you’re really not recycling.
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| Everyday |
| Holidays |
It is estimated that between Thanksgiving and
the New Year an extra million tons of waste are
generated nationwide each week . In fact, 38,000
miles of ribbon alone is thrown out each year--enough
to tie a bow around the Earth! Click
here to find out what you can do to reduce holiday
waste!
| Oil Changes |
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After you save yourself
some money by doing an oil change at home,
save the earth by recycling the waste oil.
Click
here to find local businesses that will
recycle your used oil.
Now that you know where to recycle your
used motor oil, you can "Make a Change
For the Better" by purchasing re-refined
motor oil. Re-refined motor oil is recycled
oil that has been processed to make it reusable.
It is of the same high quality as virgin
motor oil. In fact, just ask Mercedes Benz!
They’ve been using re-refined motor
oil in their new cars since the early 1990’s.
Purchasing re-refined motor oil will:
• Reduce air pollution
• Use an American resource and reduce
dependence on foreign oil
• Reduce energy requirements by being
used over and over again
• Conserve a valuable, non-renewable
resource (crude oil) |
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Rechargeable Batteries
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Rechargeable batteries, also
known as Ni-Cd (nickel-cadmium) batteries,
are found in power tools, cordless and cellular
phones, and camcorders. Although long lasting,
sooner or later those Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries
are going to quit. When they no longer hold
a charge, RECYCLE THEM.
(Click on the Ni-Cd symbol on the left above
to find the nearest retail collection site.) |
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| Junk Mail |
| Mailing Lists |
| Eliminate Unwanted Mail! Nearly 35 million trees
are cut down yearly for mail most of us don't even
read. To be removed from national mailing lists,
send your name, name variations, and your address
to: Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association,
P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008. Ask them
to place your name in the "suppress" file.
This will not take your name off existing mailing
lists, but it will keep you from being added to
new ones for five years. |
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| Credit Bureaus |
Credit bureaus have been known to sell names and
addresses to banks and credit card companies. Here
are the addresses to three of the largest credit
bureaus:
Equifax Options, Equifax Marketing Decisions Systems,
Inc.
P.O. Box 740123, Atlanta, GA 30374-0123
Trans Union, Transmark, Inc.,
555 W. Adams Street, Chicago, IL 60661
TRW-NCAC, Attn: Mail Preference Service, Target
Marketing Services Division,
12606 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75243
| Warranty Cards |
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When you buy a new product,
don't fill out the warranty card. They are
used as means to gather names for direct-mail
lists. Typically, you are covered by the warranty
whether the card is returned or not. Feel
free to contact one of the largest warranty
card companies and ask to be removed from
their list: National Demographics & Lifestyles,
List Order Services, 1621 18th St, #300, Denver,
CO 80202.
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| Direct-Mail List Businesses |
Here are some additional direct-mail list businesses.
Write them at:
Donnelley Marketing,
1235 N. Ave., Nevada, IA 50201-1419
Metro Mail Corporation,
901 W. Bond, Lincoln, NB 68521
R.L. Polk and Company, List Services Division,
6400 Monroe Boulevard, Taylor, MI 48180
Haines and Company, Inc., Pat Garner,
8050 Freedom Ave. NW, North Canton, OH 44720
One has to be patient in the battle against junk
mail. It took years to build these lists. It will
take a while -- up to six months -- before you will
notice a reduction. |
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