Many of us are conditioned to be “good” consumers, buying and discarding as fast as our wallets allow. As ingrained as they are in our culture, these habits result in a lot of unnecessary waste! Being mindful about how you use and dispose of products at home or in the office makes the Earth and your bank account happy. So, step one is consume only what you need (reduce), step two is buy used whenever possible (reuse), and step three is recycle what you need to discard (recycle).


 Here is a compilation of great tips for reducing waste in your home and office:

• Avoid disposable items whenever possible.
• Choose durable products that can be used again and again.
• Use the blank sides of scrap paper for notes and lists before recycling the paper.
• Print letters and reports on both sides of the paper and set the default switch on your photocopier to double-sided.
• Use e-mail instead of paper memos and reduce the number of messages you print out.
• Post or circulate materials rather than copying one for each person. Share training manuals and internal documents.
• Eliminate printer and fax cover sheets.
• Buy copier paper with at least 30% post-consumer recycled content
• Save plastic produce bags and paper or plastic grocery bags for reuse
• Carry a cloth or string bag to use when you shop.
• Buy in bulk whenever possible; take your own bag or container when possible.
• Pack lunches in reusable containers to reduce waste and save money.
• Choose products with minimal packaging or packaging that can be reused or recycled easily.
• Carry a reusable cup or mug for beverages to avoid disposable cups.
• Borrow books from the library or buy them used rather than purchasing them new.
• Repair broken or damaged items rather than replacing them.
• Donate items you can no longer use to a nonprofit group or thrift store.
• Purchase quality used items such as furniture, clothing, sports equipment, toys and books at second-hand stores, garage sales and through classified ads.
• Compost leaves and grass clippings in a home compost pile and kitchen scraps in a worm bin. Use the compost to improve your garden or feed houseplants.

Those of you who work in offices will have to enlist the help of your colleagues to green your office, but it is well worth the effort! Below are 10 tips from the Canadian government for reducing office waste – even implementing a few of these ideas can make a difference:

• Know Your Waste - Understanding what your wastes are and how much waste your company is generating will help you to develop the most cost effective, waste reduction program.
• Keep up-to-date with existing provincial and municipal legislation concerning solid waste management. You must ensure that all banned materials are being diverted from your garbage.
• Educate everyone in the organization about your waste management system. Employees need to know what is expected of them. Include information on solid waste management and policies, and provide hands-on training in orientation sessions with new staff. Reinforce the message regularly.
• High Staff turnover? It is particularly important to provide extensive amounts of education and training to employees. The key is to make separation easier, by simplifying separation procedures as much as possible.
• If you have customers and suppliers that access your waste containers, you may need to educate them on recycling and composting to reduce contamination (this may simply be posting information for these groups near the bins).
• Consider arranging tours for your staff to composting or recycling plants. This may trigger employees to be more interested in your programs.
• Use proceeds from refundable materials, like beverage containers, to go to staff for a staff function or a staff sports team, or to buy supplies for the lunchroom. The money may be donated to a charity of the staff’s choice. Charities and organizations are often willing to collect refundables on a regular schedule from businesses.
• Reward individual employees (or departments) for "contaminant-free" recyclables/organics. Offer incentives such as small gift certificates to good performers.
• Create contests to maintain interest in the program.

If recycling seems like a hassle, consider these reasons why recycling is important (from the EPA):

• Recycling protects and expands U.S. manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness
• Recycling reduces the need for landfilling and incineration
• Recycling prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials
• Recycling saves energy
• Recycling decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change
• Recycling conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals
• Recycling helps sustain the environment for future generations

If we fail to take steps toward reducing waste, and continue to embrace “perpetual growth”, we and our children are left to grapple with consequences like environmental destruction, poverty, and hunger, even amongst immensely wealthy communities. So, why not do your part to curb these trends?  

I’m sure that many of you already do most of these things... But I hope that this inspires newbies!
 
Let me know how you avoid waste, and if you have any tips to add to the lists above!