The Three R's: Reducing

As I talked about yesterday, there are three R's to recycling. We tend to focus on the last "r"--what we can and cannot take to the curb. Here are some suggestions for the first "r"--reducing. Hopefully, the ideas will get you thinking on what you can do at your home.

1) Buy a sturdy water bottle and use it instead of disposable ones.
2) Skip buying paper towels-use rags, dishcloths and towels instead
3) Use cloth napkins instead of paper (these can be cheaply made or found at secondhand stores and yard sales).
4) Use rechargeable batteries.
5) Use lids for pans and casserole dishes instead of plastic and foil.
6) Use reusable storage containers instead of baggies.
7) Use reusable shopping bags when shopping.
8) Use regular plates, silverware and cups. Avoid the disposable kinds of these.
9) Buy 2 liters of pop, juice, kool-aid etc instead of little individual serving size containers.
10) Call catalog companies and ask to be removed from the mailing list.

Be creative and start reducing.