Buy less packaging and you will have less to recycle. Look for the best materials in packaging that can be recycled. Glass and cardboard containers are better than plastic and are much easier to recycle.
Once you start to see how much cardboard and paper you can recycle, you will realize how much you take home. Christmas cards can be recycled. Put them in with your regular paper recycling or look for Christmas card recycling bins in supermarkets.
Glass is easy to recycle and most municipalities collect it at your doorstep. Some plastics can be easily recycled, but there are still many types that cannot be recycled or are not yet recycled everywhere. The easiest thing is to stop bringing that type of plastic home as much as possible.
Plastic bags are often used only once. Buy stronger bags and reuse them, or reuse your thin plastic bags until they break and then recycle them. Many supermarkets offer recycling of plastic bags. Avoid carrying bags: some countries actively ban them or charge for them to reduce their use. Tote bags or heavy-duty lifetime bags will last you for years and have much less impact on the environment. You can make your own cloth bags by recycling old clothes and sewing them into bags. Garbage bags in stores! It may take a bit of effort at some stores, but pack your own carry bag for when you get to the counter! Most stores won’t mind – after all, you’re saving them money by not carrying a bag!
When buying eggs, buy them in cardboard boxes, as this packaging can be easily recycled. If you know someone near you who has chickens, ask if they would like you to hold their empty boxes for them. Many people will appreciate this and you might get some free eggs too!
Milk is better in bottles that can be recycled. If you don’t have a milkman to bring you glass bottles, make sure the milk cartons go to recycling. However, glass bottles are better as they are washed and reused, which consumes less energy than materials that are recycled.
Larger packs typically contain fewer packs per quantity of product. By buying the larger packs, you also need to visit the store less often, which is also good for the environment.
By keeping an eye on what you take home from stores, you can reduce the amount of waste you have to throw away.
