Waste Reduction Tips

• Buy in bulk to reduce packaging.
• Bring your own cotton shopping bags to the grocery store.
• Ask for paper shopping bags, then reuse, recycle or compost them.
• Don't double bag your purchases
• Reuse your plastic grocery bags.
• Use and re-use cloth napkins, towels and rags instead of paper napkins and paper towels.
• Buy serviceable or quality items and avoid single-use items.
• Don't buy produce or baking goods in non-recyclable plastic containers (like clam-shell packages).
• Buy products that are made from recycled materials or packaged in recycled material.
• Use and re-use regular plates, cups and silverware instead of paper plates, cups, and plastic ware.
• Buy re-chargeable batteries, which are more readily recycled.
• Donate your old clothes and furniture to charities and missions to be resold.
• Have a garage sale so someone else can make use of your unwanted things.
• Use a travel mug or a thermos for your coffee - most coffee houses are glad to fill them for you.
• Take your household hazardous waste to a depot instead of dumping it with your garbage.
• Return your other reusable and recyclable items to a local Take it Back! retailer when you're done with them.
• Reconsider the necessity of your purchases - do you really need something new, or will your older one do? Reducing what you buy means thinking ahead and not buying on impulse.
• When buying paint, buy only what is required for the job.
• Before buying any hazardous waste chemical, check to see if there is an environmentally friendly alternative.
• Encourage business stewardship by returning used oil and tires and paying the disposal fee.

ZDROJ: www.ottawa.ca