Reducing Waste

 

R Reduce water use. R If you wash dishes in the sink, use a dish rack to reduce the amount of water used. R Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth. R Take showers rather than baths. R Buy a water-conserving showerhead. R Plant flowers and shrubs that are native to your area, so you do not have to water and/or fertilize them. R Water your yard during the morning or evening, to keep water from being lost to evaporation.   R Buy products in bulk, if they will be used up within their expiration date. This uses less packaging.   R Purchase products that are reusable or recyclable: avoid single-use products.   R Buy recycled products-many things, including printer paper, are available in recycled forms.   R Sign up at <http://www.dmachoice.org/consumerassistance.php> and/or <http://www.catalogchoice.org> to take yourself off of direct mailing lists--and reduce or eliminate paper waste from catalogs. You can call your favorite stores and tell them if you still want to receive mail.   R If you do like receiving store catalogs, it is also helpful to reduce the number of times you receive them each year. Call your store's customer service representative to check whether they can reduce your mailings.   R While you're at it, see whether the stores use recycled paper in their mailings. Tell them that this is important to you as a consumer.