1.
• Reduce your food waste
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the largest component of municipal solid waste sent to landfills is food. Therefore, the most effective way to reduce your household waste is to reduce and divert food scraps! Get some tips on reducing food waste that can save you money. Planning is key; make sure to shop with a list, take inventory of your fridge, use your leftovers, and store food properly. Additionally, certain food scraps are edible! Click here to learn more about cooking with food scraps.
After making efforts to reduce food waste, any residual food scraps can be diverted in several ways! You can feed food scraps to animals like chickens (although we discourage feeding food scraps to pigs), start a compost pile in your backyard, compost indoors with a worm bin, contact your trash and recycling hauler about curbside food scrap collection, or bring food scraps to your town’s drop-off. Additionally, we accept food scraps from residents for free at the District Transfer Station. Call us at 388-2333 for more info on the disposal of food scraps.
• Paper or plastic? Neither!
Use reusable bags instead for all of your shopping needs. Don’t just limit this to grocery shopping—bring reusable bags when shopping for clothes, books, household goods, etc. You can also use reusable produce bags to purchase loose food items (such as fruits and veggies) from the grocery store.
If you find yourself forgetting your bags at home, try storing bags in your car. Or, purchase folding reusable bags and keep them in your purse, on your keychain, or in your pocket at all times. For a more extreme solution, you can force yourself to return home for your bags if you catch yourself forgetting, or make yourself carry your purchases out of the store without a bag. Chances are, you will remember this unpleasant experience and be significantly less likely to forget your bags next time!
• Say no to bottled water
Instead, carry a reusable water bottle. It is a myth that bottled water is healthier than tap water—although both tap and bottled water are federally regulated in the U.S., tap water has stricter quality and health standards than bottled water. Benefit the environment, your health, and your finances by embracing the tap and going reusable!
#2
Simple Things You Can Do to Help Protect the Earth
• Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Cut down on what you throw away. Follow the three "R's" to conserve natural resources and landfill space.
• Volunteer. Volunteer for cleanups in your community. You can get involved in protecting your watershed, too.
• Educate. When you further your own education, you can help others understand the importance and value of our natural resources.
• Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually end up in the ocean.
