Helpful Hints to reduce waste
In Your Home:
- Save a tree, end junk mail! Get your name off mailing lists by writing to:
Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
PO Box 9008
Farmingdale, New York 11735-9008
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Purchase Products sold in bulk forms such as flour, pasta, rice, nuts, and spices.
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Try reusables and refillables instead of disposables: cloth napkins, handkerchiefs, food storage containers, razors, batteries.
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Paper vs. Plastic? Avoid both, Bring your own durable bags! Some stores even give rebates and remember, if you use them, paper bags contain recycled content and are easily recycled in Oregon.
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Avoid saran wrap and foil when possible, use tupperware or empty food containers to store leftovers or to carry your lunch.
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Don't dump your unwanted items, donate them to thrift organizations or have a yard sale.
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Compost yard debris and vegetable waste.
In Your Office:
- Double-sided printing: Always use both sides of the paper! Set all employee computer defaults to "duplex print."
- Proof documents on screen when possible and teach employees to use preview and spell check before printing.
- Use email! It's paperless and fast!
- Establish purchasing guidelines to encourage waste prevention (buy durable, highly-concentrated, reusable, high-quality products).
- Circulate memos, periodicals and reports, rather than distribute individual copies. Make scratch pads from used paper.
- Refill your toner cartridges and recycle office paper, glass, plastic and metals.
- Buy recycled-content products. Support your office's recycling program by buying the paper made from your old office paper!
- Use durable dishes instead of disposables, and keep an extra set of silverware at work!
- Encourage carpooling, walking and biking to work by offing incentives or discuss possibilities with your supervisor.
In Your Community:
- Buy from the classified ads or from thrift shops whenever possible.
- Walk or ride your bike; save fuel and our air quality.
- Request public recycling receptacles from city officials and businesses.
- Write letters to newspaper editors praising local examples of resource conservation.
- Teach children the importance of recycling and resource conservation
- Encourage sustainable landscaping at public agencies, parks and private businesses.
- Buy compost made from local yard debris recycling programs and reduce your use of fertilizer.
- Support the local economy. Buying locally grown, sold and manufactured products provides jobs and reduces pollution from freight travel.
- Share magazines and books with others and use the library whenever possible.