I hear the phrase "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" used all the time and I think it's great that it is on the forefront of peoples minds. Below I have some information, tips and products that can help all of us easily incorporate this phrase into our daily lives! I would also love to hear and share some of the ways that you Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in your household and community.
Reduce
I love finding new ways to reduce waste in my life...I find myself constantly thinking of new ways to do this.
Specifically, the last few years I have been really conscious about reducing the food waste in my home. It has become a personal challenge to find new recipes and ways to use every bit of food leftovers that has lent itself to some amazing go-to meals now! Just today I came across THIS article on Twitter "7 Tips on How to Reduce Food Waste in Your Kitchen". Reducing food waste not only helps the environment, but it also helps your wallet; the NRDC reports that the average American family of four ends up throwing away an equivalent of up to $2,275 annually in food...that's crazy!! HERE is another great article that also deals with reducing food waste, posted by Money Talks News, titled "13 Tips to Make Your Groceries Last Longer". I would add a 14th tip: store mushrooms in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator to make them last longer and avoid from getting slimy.
ReuseReusing items is another fantastic way to help REDUCE waste. I am a huge fan of using reusable bags for shopping, reusable water jugs, cloth napkins, reusable lunch, sandwich and snack bags, and reusing grocery produce bags. http://www.reuseit.com is a great website to visit for all things reusable!
I have to admit that one of the hardest things for me to completely stop using is paper towels. I have cut down significantly on the amount of paper towels we purchase by trying to use mostly cloth napkins and hand towels in their place. I was able to purchase a bunch of funky and unique cloth napkins on sale awhile back that have made it a lot easier to cut back on using paper towels. I would definitely recommend when you find reusable items on sale like cloth napkins, water bottles, coffee mugs, etc to buy a bunch of them...sometimes these things can be a little pricey, so take advantage when you can; the more options you have the easier it is to stick to using reusable items!
Recycling
Recycling is so much more than dragging the bins to the curbside (which is still very important); recycling can take many forms. In fact, a lot of times I think recycling and reusing fall into the same category. For example, you can recycle containers by reusing them for other purposes. When I empty glass containers with air tight seals such as pickle, salsa and jam jars, I wash them out and will reuse them to hold loose change, organize rubber bands, jewelry and other trinkets, store dry goods in my pantry and use as "Tupperware" containers.
Another form of recycling that I do often is donating and selling; we all know the saying "One mans trash is another mans treasure"... I found this to be so true during our most recent move to New York. We tried to donate or sell as much as possible and found great financial as well as personal reward by doing so.
Below I have included some links for more info to consider when recycling:
- Here is a link to the "Ten Most Common Landfill Items that are Recyclable".
- "What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean"? Find out Here
- "Find Environmentally Friendly Electronics Recycling Centers Locally" Here
- Here is a comprehensive and informative guide on "How to Recycle Anything"
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