How To Waste Less
The following tips were taken from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's "Consumer Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste":

Recycle

Recycling—converting used items back into "feedstocks" for manufacturers to make new products—conserves our valuable natural resources and reduces the need to put waste into our landfills. Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. It also provides our community with a lot of environmental, financial, and social benefits. After collection, materials (e.g., glass, metal, plastics, and paper) are separated and sent to facilities that can process them into new materials or products. Learn more about what materials can be recycled.

Tip 8: Choose Recyclable Products and Containers and Recycle Them

- Purchase products made of materials that are collected for recycling i.e. aluminum, cans (aluminum, bi-metal, steel, tin), cardboard, glass, mixed paper, newspapers, and plastic containers #1 PETE and #2 HDPE;

- Take used antifreeze, vehicle batteries, motor oil, paint, stains, solvents, adhesives, aerosols, roof tar, drain openers, pesticides, household cleaners, and household batteries to facilities that accept them for recycling;

Tip 9: Select Products Made from Recycled Materials

- Purchase products made from recycled content such as bottles, cans, paper wrappings, bags, cereal boxes, stationery, wrapping paper, and computer paper;

- When checking products for recycled content, look for a statement that recycled materials were used and if possible, choose the product containing the largest percentage of recycled content;

Tip 10: Compost Yard Trimmings and Some Food Scraps

- Compost yard trimmings and food scraps; if you do not know how to compost, request a copy of the County of Santa Barbara Public Works Department's publication entitled, The Answer Is Backyard Composting and Yard Waste Reduction or consult the United States Environmental Protection Agency's website: www.epa.gov/compost

- If there is no room for a compost pile, offer the compostable materials to community composting programs or garden projects;

- If you have a yard, invest in a lawnmower that leaves grass clippings on the lawn to decompose and return nutrients back to the soil, rather than bagging and disposing of them;

Tip 11: Other Waste Prevention Tips

- Patronize stores and businesses that practice source reduction and other environmentally helpful activities; Call or write letters to those that do not;

- Eliminate junk mail by removing your name from direct mailing lists;

- Cancel unused catalog and magazine subscriptions;

- Circulate memos and publications with a routing slip, rather than making individual copies for everyone in the office.

Benefits of Recycling

Conserves natural resources for future generations

Prevents emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants

Saves energy

Reduces the need to mine for new resources

Creates jobs

Stimulates the development and use of greener technologies

Reduces the need for new landfills and incinerators

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Copyright © 2000 Santa Barbara County Public Works Department
Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division

Last updated: March 26, 2008