Reduce Waste
Reduce Waste
- Eliminate Junk Mail - According to the U.S. E.P.A., each year, 100 million trees are used to produce over 4 million tons of U.S. junk mail. Help reduce wasted resources and wasted energy. Check out these simple tools to significantly reduce your junk mail: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt063.shtm. Additionally, you can stop delivery of catalogs from this handy site: https://www.catalogchoice.org/. You can also call the catalog provider and ask that you be removed from their mailing list. A great list of additional ways to reduce junk mail can be found here: http://www.ecocycle.org/junkmail/index.cfm
- Opt-Out of Phone Books - The National Yellow Pages Association and the Association of Directory Publishers run a website where you can opt-out of all phone books being delivered to your door. The registration process takes under five minutes, but should prevent future phone books from being left at your doorstep. Sign up at https://www.yellowpagesoptout.com/
- Utilize Paperless Billing - Contact your providers for more information. Paperless billing is less wasteful of natural resources and also helps prevent important financial documents from being lost in the mail or stolen from recycle bin. Consider paperless billing to eliminate the following: Credit card statements, Bank statements, Utility bills (Columbia Gas and First Energy both allow you to set up online statements. You can also set up payment by automatic withdrawal from your bank account so that you don’t need to send paper checks or use postage.), Car payment statements
- Utilize Reusable Lunch Boxes, Bags, and Food Containers instead of disposable paper and plastic baggies.
- Avoid Disposable Drink Containers – Instead, purchase a refillable stainless steel container. Keep several in your refrigerator filled with your favorite drinks and take one with you in the car to use at sporting events, the office, and on the road.
- Don't be Fooled by Bottled Water Advertising - Is bottled water really safer? In study published in the March issue of the Archives of Family Medicine, a journal of the American Medical Association, researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Ohio State University found that bottled water most often lacks the recommended amount of fluoride and in many cases has more bacteria than Cleveland's municipal tap water (source of Bay Village tap water). That is because bottled water is not strictly regulated the way that tap water is. If you are concerned about tap water taste or possible presence of heavy metals from old plumbing, then Consumer's Report recommends using a filter that handles those types of issues instead of turning to bottled water. It is more cost effective and perfectly safe. Click here to see the study: http://courses.washington.edu/h2owaste/bottled_water.pdf
- Avoid Disposable Styrofoam or Plastic Plates, and Plastic Utensils – Instead, use the dishes, silverware and utensils that you already have in your kitchen. If you must use disposable, then use products that can be composted like compostable bowls, plates and utensils made from plant materials such as paper, corn, potato, cellulose, soy and sugar. Then make sure to compost these products—do NOT put them in the trash or recycle bin.
- Avoid Excessive Packaging – Instead, buy items that use minimal packaging.
- Share – Some things we choose to purchase are used infrequently. Examples include chipper-shredders, roto-tillers, carpet steam cleaners, and many other power tools. Consider sharing these items if you already own them or borrowing one if you don't. Organize a neighborhood tool share or check with friends and family. It costs less and frees up valuable space in your home.
- Reduce Use of Plastic and Paper Shopping Bags – Instead, purchase and use a reusable shopping bag instead. Be sure to wash them regularly to avoid contaminating food with bacteria associated with food-borne illness.