| As I begin this article -- a look at five easy ways to | | | | collection program, Paper Retriever, places large |
| reduce household waste without even realizing it -- I | | | | collection bins at schools to collect virtually all paper |
| wonder if readers see me as yet another voice | | | | and cardboard products -- with the added bonus that |
| preaching an occasional "Go Green" message as the | | | | the school makes money off the recyclable waste. |
| new fashionable "it" thing. | | | | When it comes to food, I find the old adage "the |
| I hope not, and here's why... | | | | less packaging food has, the better it is for you" |
| I don't really see myself as "Green," but simply | | | | usually true, and equally so for the waste stream and |
| practical. Our family chooses items for our home that | | | | environment. Fresh foods require far less energy to |
| are built to last and opts for reusable products over | | | | create than processed foods, and the "packaging" |
| disposable ones. This cuts down household waste and | | | | can go right back to nature. Amazingly almost 30 |
| ultimately saves money. We also reduce waste by | | | | percent of residential waste is kitchen waste, and |
| participating in our curbside recycling program. Neither | | | | much can be reduced through simple backyard |
| of these things are hard to do, and we were doing | | | | composting. Now I am no gardener, much less a |
| them long before it was "the thing" to do. | | | | farmer, but this is possible even in our small suburban |
| A good example of "built to last" options are casual | | | | yard, and the roses love it. Any home and garden |
| or outdoor plastic dishes. I did not buy cheap | | | | store can get you started, or see how at City |
| seasonal "top rack dishwasher safe" acrylic plates | | | | Farmer and get the kids involved... it's actually fun! |
| with the expectation that I would wash them | | | | My last "effortless" way to reduce household waste |
| however I want and simply toss when worn. Instead, | | | | is my personal challenge this year, and one others |
| I bought tougher commercial quality dishwasher-safe | | | | have adopted with ease -- switching to reusable |
| plastic dishes, and five years later they're still going | | | | shopping bags. One weekly trip to the grocery store |
| strong. That's easily two to three fewer sets of | | | | for a family of four generates at least a dozen |
| plastic dishes being thrown out by our household in | | | | grocery sacks. Even though paper and plastic sacks |
| five years' time. | | | | can be reused for various purposes, they do stack |
| Another way to drastically reduce household waste is | | | | up and add to clutter. I struggled with this switch, |
| switching from paper towels and napkins to cloth. | | | | and admittedly ditched the idea for a while, but I |
| Before Christmas, I bought one dozen rolls of paper | | | | finally found a practically effortless solution. I have |
| towels for our home, and by mid-Summer I had | | | | two complete "sets" of washable bags, each enough |
| opened only three. While paper towels are essential | | | | for my weekly shopping trip. After washing a set in |
| for some things (say, ribs!), we rarely use paper | | | | the laundry, into my car they go, ready when I need |
| towels for spills or cleaning. Instead we reach for an | | | | them. Sure, when I pop into a store for an item or |
| old standard, soft, absorbant cotton flour sack | | | | two, I get a plastic sack. But on big trips, I save |
| dishtowels which are ideal for many uses, from | | | | more than 12 bags each time. Plus, the handles don't |
| cleaning counter tops to dusting. On the table, cloth | | | | break - that in itself is worth the effort! |
| napkins are much more attractive, absorbant and | | | | With easy, common sense waste reduction efforts, |
| useful than paper napkins. Best of all, cloth napkins | | | | our household of three typically generates only one |
| and floursack towels just toss into the laundry -- | | | | partially full kitchen sized trash bag per week. When I |
| painless, cheaper and certainly "greener"! | | | | drive through our neighborhood on trash day, I'm |
| Reducing paper and packaging waste in general is not | | | | amazed to see many homes regularly put out two |
| hard to do. Cardboard and chipboard recycling | | | | trashcans or more, but no recycling bin. Hopefully |
| collection has grown quite a bit in recent years. Some | | | | simple, effective waste reduction ideas will eventually |
| curbside collections now take flattened cereal and | | | | become commonplace -- not "the thing to do" but |
| food boxes, and some even take corrugated | | | | rather, the thing we all do. |
| cardboard. Don't have curbside collection? Check with | | | | I'm certainly proof that it can be done, and that it |
| your local elementary school. A nationwide paper | | | | doesn't take any extra effort to do it. |