Take It Home
Where there are people, there is almost always garbage. Keeping our planet from becoming one huge landfill means starting to reduce waste every day, everywhere. The lessons your students have learned at school will transfer home with ease, but here are a couple of additional ideas to really get the reduction ball rolling.
Shop-until-You-Drop Waste
Everything people buy creates pollution. You don't need to stop shopping, but everyone can shop smarter. Here are some ideas to reduce how much waste you create. They'll also help you reduce the amount of money you spend. Follow these easy tips to get started:
Make a shopping list before you go and stick to it.
Buy things that can be reused or recycled.
Look for items that are made from or packaged in recycled materials.
Look for the least-packaged products and buy in bulk.
One of the most important steps you can take to reduce waste is to bring reusable shopping bags when you go to the store. You can use cloth bags you may already have lying around your house, buy reusable bags, or even sew your own.
Junk Mail Madness
No one likes junk mail, so why not get rid of it? It's irritating to consumers and it's incredibly wasteful, so put your foot down.
Write the Direct Marketing Association and register with their Mail Preference Service, which puts you on a list to not be contacted by solicitors. It's a free service that lasts for five years, but only for national mail. All you need to do is write a letter or postcard with the date, your name, address, and signature, and write, “Please register my name with the Mail Preference Service.” Send it to: Mail Preference Service c/o Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512. You can also register online at www.thedma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.html, but it costs $5.
