Everyday Choices
Refuse to take actions that will directly produce unneccessary waste or harm the environment. Only take what you need. Just because something is free, doesn't mean you are obligated to accept it. Free promotional magazines, flyers, DVDs, pens, balloons...even those that may be recyclable add unneccessary clutter to your life, and will eventually be thrown out. Shy away from take-out foods. If you must indulge, try to leave the restaurant with as little packaging and "stuff" as possible; don't take condiments, cutlery and napkins if you have them at home, and always skip the bag.
Don't buy garbage!
Even as great as our recycle and reuse option in the PRRD are, there is no getting around it: some of what we buy is, pure and simple, garbage! Some materials cannot be recycled, either because the local recycling system doesn't accept it, or because it isn't designed to be recyclable. The easiest example is polystyrene, or Styrofoam. This material started its life as #6 plastic, and sometimes has a recycling symbol stamped on it. The truth is, the second you purchase styrofoam, you are committing to sending it to the landfill, where it will sit for hundreds of years.
Any time a non-reusable, non recyclable, non sustainable product catches your eye, refuse it and find a friendlier alternative.
