13 Things You Can Do Right Now To Reduce Waste

I have to admit, my soul crumbled when my newsfeed filled up with headlines like "China Refuses the World's Recyclables" and "Plastics Piling Up Around the World!" What the hell are we going to do with all this waste?

We need to be adaptable in the evolving environmental climate. We need to do things differently and we must do them better. While this recent news is a bit of a setback, it has also inspired me to think about new ways that we can further reduce our carbon footprint.

Much of the glass, plastic, paper, and cans that we use will likely end up in landfills and continue to plague our beautiful planet due to improper disposal. So, what can each one of us do, right now, today to help alleviate Mother Earth of our burdensome waste? The answer is Precycling!

Precycling is the act of eliminating waste before it is created.

Here are 13 simple ways you can begin precycling today:

1. Stop junk mail before it starts/continues!!! Oftentimes, contact information is listed on the mail you receive. Call the number or visit the website on that unwanted magazine and unsubscribe from the mailing list. 
2. Save trees and reduce waste by turning off paper billing and pay your bills online. You may even receive discounts by using this approach. When you receive bills in the mail you typically get an outer envelope, a few pages of documents, and a return envelope. By doing all of your billing online, you'll stop all of this paper waste from being created. In addition, you'll save the $0.50 it costs to mail these things back in.
3. Print documents only when you really need to and utilize double-sided printing when possible.
4. Use fewer paper towels. After washing your hands in public restrooms, shake your hands out 10 times, then use one sheet to dry them off. This should do the trick.
5. Bring a reusable container for leftovers at restaurants. Not only will you reduce waste, but your food will taste better by skipping the styrofoam, your meal is already in a microwave safe container for reheating, and it's more easily transportable. This is my favorite eco-trick, lately! Here are a few good options that we found: FitPacker Meal Prep Containers, Mcirco Glass Containers, Prep Naturals Glass Containers.
   
6. Use a reusable hot beverage cup or personal tumbler when you purchase coffee. Try this on your next trip to Starbucks. Enjoy a slight discount on your cup of sunshine AND clean the waste stream.
7. Stop plastic bottle waste in its tracks! Don't forget to bring your reusable and portable water bottle on your next outing. This collapsible silicone bottle would be especially useful at the airport or anywhere that your space is limited.
8. Refuse straws at restaurants and either drink straight from the glass or bring your reusable straw. While small and seemingly insignificant, Americans use 500 million straws a day and this drinking aid contributes to the top 10 pollutants found on beaches.
9. Decline all the extra condiments that come with your meal. Take only what you need!!!
10. Skip the receipt at the gas station/atm/stores and where available, have the receipts emailed directly to you, instead. 
11. Be sure to bring your reusable bags when shopping. Plastic bags end up in our oceans, and if you look up, you'll see them tangled in trees. Check out these options: PlanetE Reusable Grocery Shopping Bags, BeeGreen Reusable Grocery Bags, Purifyou Produce Bags.
    
12. Store your sandwiches and snacks in reusable silicone sandwich bags.
    
13. Reduce your consumption of raw materials and buy used items at thrift shops, Good Will, Plato's Closet, eBay, or ThredUp. You'll find some treasures in buying used goods!
    

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