Reduce

Reducing waste is a multifaceted imperative that benefits the environment, conserves resources, saves money and contributes to a more sustainable and healthy future for all.

Why should we reduce waste?

Financial Impact

  • Who doesn’t want to save money?
  • When deciding what to reduce, ask yourself, “How much of the stuff that I buy do I use? How much of it do I need?
  • According to a study done by USA Today, the average American adult spendsÌý$1,497 a monthÌýon nonessential items.
  • This includes take out food, bottled water, impulse purchasesÌýand nonessential clothing.
  • Most of us have more than we need. Make it your mission to buy only things you need to benefit your wallet and the environment.

Safer Future

  • Mining and manufacturing processes emit dangerous greenhouse gases.
  • Our climate is changing. By reducing our waste we can lessen the impact on our agriculture and freshwater locations.
  • We can even lower the frequency of natural disasters that are affecting our communities internationally.Ìý

Reduce Landfills

  • According to the EPA, each person produces 4.40 pounds of garbage daily.
  • 230 million tons of municipal garbage is produced each year.
  • The garbage ends up in landfills, which creates water and air pollution and generates a horrendous smell that affects all the surrounding communities.
  • These landfills will be around much longer than us, as plastic takes 100 to 400 years to break down entirely in a landfill.
  • Therefore, we need to reduce the number of things we all use, slowing the growth of landfills.

Climate Change

  • Lessen the impact to our agriculture and fresh water locations.
  • Lower the frequency of natural disasters that are affecting our communities internationally.Ìý
  • Protect endangered species.

Save Energy and Resources

  • There is less energy used to recycle materials compared to making new materials.
  • In fact, recycling one aluminum can save enough energy to power a television for two hours.
  • Resources like aluminum, petroleumÌýand trees are all used to make new materials such as cans, plastic bagsÌýand paper packaging.
  • These resources are nonrenewable, and we will run out if we keep using them at the current rate.

Lessen Landfill Impacts on Surrounding Communities

  • Landfills create water pollution when certain particles saturate the trash and the water treatment process cannot remove them. The drinking water in surrounding communities can become contaminated.
  • When materials decay, natural gases release into the air, creating air pollution. Being surrounded by these toxic gases can be a factor in lung and heart complications.