Promote recycling, composting, and waste reduction
Every thing we use and throw away has an impact on the planet. Unfortunately, once we are done with something it doesn’t disappear – it has to go somewhere. Too often, that somewhere is our trash can. This take-make-waste (or Linear) way of living is not sustainable and doing irreparable damage to our environment. This …
Week 16: Use Secondhand Sources for Items New to You Read More »
As we look to implement last week’s action to reduce single-use plastic, we talked more this week about how to accomplish that by choosing reusables to replace them. Most of our current “throw-away” lifestyle started as recently as the 1950s when the plastics and chemical industries sold the American public on the convenience of single-use …
Last week’s discussion about reducing our reliance on single-use plastic was a great introduction to this week’s action – Choose Reusables. Decreasing (or eliminating) our use of plastic is a wonderful goal, but for it to be manageable, we need to find other options to use instead. And we have to remember that plastic isn’t …
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that only about 9% of plastics get recycled. The rest end up in the landfill…or the ocean and other waterways…or littering the landscape. We thought this was the perfect week to talk about reducing single-use plastic because July is here and that means it’s Plastic Free July! Plastic Free …
Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic has been produced. Over half of that has been produced in the last 15 years alone. A straw with our iced coffee, a plastic bag to carry our takeout, a wrapper on a candy bar: taken individually, each seems harmless. These modern conveniences are so ubiquitous—and …
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there are many benefits to recycling, including reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators and conserving natural resources such as timber, water and minerals. However, in order to “Recycle Smarter” it’s important to understand …
According to the National Institutes of Health, 94% of natural resources used by Americans are non-renewable. Through recycling, we not only save these resources, we also save water and energy, create jobs, and sustain the world for future generations. Natural resources are being depleted and landfills are being filled at an increasing rate. Our current …
We are fortunate in our area to have access to abundant, clean water for household uses, agriculture and recreation, but that doesn’t mean we should take it for granted. We’re used to thinking of water shortages as a problem only in the West, but areas of the eastern U.S. are increasingly facing water shortages too, …
The Earth might seem like it has abundant water, but in fact less than 1 percent is available for human use. The rest is either salt water found in oceans, fresh water frozen in the polar ice caps, or too inaccessible for practical usage. While population and demand on freshwater resources are increasing, supply will …
As part of this week’s discussion on reducing food waste, we shared resources, tips, and tricks that you can try at home. Head over to these two articles we posted if you haven’t seen them already! Tips and Tools for Reducing Food Waste Local Resources for Reducing Food Waste Many Small Actions Can Lead to …
