|
|
| Author: Lee Young |
Walking into a grocery store can be an overwhelming experience: there are so many choices. What brand? What size? What flavor? What packaging'? By keeping the four R's in mind -- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rebuy (or Buy Recycled) -- you can reduce waste, and save money, all by the simple process of shopping.
How do you apply the four Rs when shopping?
It's easiest to shop with the first R -- Reduce -- in mind. Look for ways to get more product and less packaging for your money. Take dry breakfast cereals for instance. Most are available in large, family-sized boxes, which reduces packaging over time. The idea of buying in larger size holds true for many products, from detergents to tomato sauces and pastes. Second, don't package products that don't need it. Fruits and vegetables are prime examples. Apples and carrots can be bought loose (or, if necessary, be put in a plastic bag brought from home). Third, reuse your paper, plastic, or cloth bags. And fourth, carry a shopping list to reduce the amount of impulse shopping you do, thereby reducing unnecessary waste.
The second R -- Reuse -- is also important. Buy 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.
The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) has compiled some statistics that speak to the urgency of implementing the credo of Reuse. The CIWMB determined that the average student disposes of 540 paper bags, disposable juice packs, and plastic sandwich bags a year. Multiply those numbers by the millions of students eating lunches in California schools and you begin to appreciate the need for more responsible shopping habits. Remember, many condiments like ketchup, mustard and salad dressing can be purchased in large containers to reduce waste.
Don't forget to also buy with Recycling -- the third R -- in mind. If you can't reuse an item, or plan to dispose of it, make sure the item is recyclable. Typically, this means it is cardboard, glass, aluminum, tin, or specific kinds of plastic. For example, No. 1 and No. 2 plastics are readily recyclable. (If you are not sure whether the plastic container is a No. 1 or 2 plastic, and therefore can be recycled, ask store management. And if they don't know, ask them to find out!). Recycling is important, but it is often more effective to prevent waste before it is generated in the first place. That's why the first R -- Reduce -- is the top priority.
Finally, Buy Recycled -- buy products made with recycled material. Purchasing these products helps turn waste reduction strategies into economic development opportunities. 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.
Buying with the four Rs in mind can help build up the piggy bank and help the [insert County/City name] reach its state waste reduction goals. What better reason to shop responsibly and help your community to do its part to help avert a waste crisis in California. |
Author Bio:
Maybe you don't have time to thumb through the quarterly catalog, which could be a great read with your morning coffee. If not, try CALMAX On-Line . Want to put a free ad in the CALMAX catalog, get on the mailing list or learn more? Call the California Integrated Waste Management Board at (916) 341-6603 or write the board at 1001 I Street, PO Box 4025, Sacramento, CA 95812-4025. |
| You can search for this article using: environmental issues, environmental versus epigenetic theories, environmental remediation |
|
|
 |
| |
Related Articles |
| |
Continuing Education Choices
|
| |
DOE Contractor-Grantee Workshop Program Overview
|
| |
Preventing Future Violence
|
| |
Interior Design Schools
|
| |
How Much Time Is Required For Subjects Taught For Homeschooling Children?
|
| |
Learning English In Four Easy Steps
|
| |
8 Ways to Find Good Reviewers for Your New Book
|
| |
Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry Book Review
|
| |
How to Use a Private Tutor for Your Child
|
| |
Health Administration Online (Health Management)
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
When you view your problems do you do so from the perspective of what you did before to try and solv ... - Saleem Rana |
| |
|
You know it when you see it. It's the paper sandwich that looks so yummy you can't pass it up. It de ... - Ceci Miller |
| |
|
Growing up Pentecostal is the true confession of an ultimate insider among Pentecostal ministers. Th ... - Juanita Watson |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Some says age is directly proportional to professional growth; whereas some want to differ from the ... - Sanjeev Himachali |
| |
|
In its continued commitment to arts education Las Vegas Schools have created the R. Guild Gray Virtu ... - Stacy Andell |
| |
|
The idea that decisions are vital to our success is based on two presuppositions. First, that all is ... - Trevor Bartley |
| |
|
As a clinician, my answer to queries is that Alzheimers dementia is only one type of dementia and th ... - Michael Rayel |
| |
|
Narcissism constitutes the entire personality. It is all-pervasive. Being a narcissist is akin to be ... - Sam Vaknin |
| |
|
| |
|
|
