Americans generate a lot of garbage; and while recycling is on the rise, most families can do more to reduce the waste they create.
This Earth Day, which occurs April 22, is a great time to adopt greener habits. Some simple organizational tips can help you get started.
Go Paperless
The best way to cut down on the garbage you create is to never generate the waste in the first place. Start by organizing your finances online. Electronic bank statements and bills payments are a fast, secure and earth-friendly alternative to paper statements.
Consider putting a stop to catalogs and junk mail. Most companies allow you to order straight from their websites. Not only will you be eliminating paper waste, you’ll be reducing the amount of energy needed for mail delivery.
Pack Smart Lunches
Recent research by the American Dietetic Association shows that 83 percent of working Americans typically eat in and around their work spaces. But if you’re transporting your food in single-use bags or wrapping paper, your midday meal is creating more waste than necessary.
“Every year, Americans throw away enough plastic sandwich bags to circle the earth more than 7 times,” says Scott Griffith, Marketing Director at Newell Rubbermaid. “Using reusable food storage containers to take lunch to work or school can dramatically cut down on all that waste.”
Make going green convenient by opting for reusable containers that efficiently use the space in your lunch box or bag. For example, Rubbermaid’s new LunchBlox modular containers snap together in multiple configurations and stack compactly to stay organized and efficiently use the space in your lunch bag.
More information on reusable food storage can be found by visiting www.rubbermaid.com.
Clean Your Closets
Organizing your storage spaces can be an enlightening experience, especially if you haven’t done so in a long time. Not only are you likely to discover you have a lot of stuff you don’t need, you’ll also learn you have a lot of stuff you don’t want.
Instead of tossing your duds in the landfill, sort out what is usable and donate those clothes, toys, books and knick knacks that you’ve outgrown to a secondhand store or charity. This exercise will encourage you to be more mindful when making questionable purchases in the future. Remember, today’s impulse buy is tomorrow’s garbage.
Encourage Recycling
Clearly marking your recycling bins will encourage members of your household, as well as guests to recycle. Consider adding a recycling bin to every level of your home, so there will be no excuses to throw recyclables into garbage cans. Post information about what can be recycled in a central location, like your refrigerator.
Doing your part for the planet starts at home. By getting organized this Earth Day, you can reduce your contribution to your local landfill.
