REDUCE and REUSE |
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Recycle More: Recycling rates have been dropping lately as people have become more lax about separating their recyclables. Take a moment to pat yourself on the back for all you do to recycle and reduce your impact, then think again about renewing your efforts. Keep recyclables out of the trash. Recycle All The Paper You Can: Chances are you are not recycling all the paper that can be recycled through your recycling program. Ask the attendant or town clerk about all the paper that can be taken through the program you use, and make sure to maximize what you recycle. Buy Recycled: Buying products made of high percentage of post-consumer recycled content keeps recycling working to help the environment. Construction Reuse Network - www. vcrn.org - The Vermont Construction Reuse Network helps home owners, builders and contractors utilize used building materials in projects and learn about resources to make the choice of reuse efficient and easy. GET SOME LOCAL COLOR - Local color paint is 100% premium, re-blended latex paint made by the Chittenden Solid Waste District. Leftover latex paint collected from residents and businesses is inspected for quality, sorted by color, then blended, double-filtered, and sold at an affordable price. All Local Color paint has a matte finish and is available in a wide variety of colors. Quality is guaranteed. One of the best things about Local Color is the price. A 2-gallon container of any color is sold for just $16. A 2-gallon container of white is just $18. Compare that cost per gallon to new paint. Local Color is now available at the Addison County Community Action Group (ACCAG) on 282 Boardman Street in Middlebury. The warehouse is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call them at 388-3608 to check availability. Local Color is a great alternative to expensive paints, and yet another way we can reuse our waste! REMEMBER - buy only what you need. Estimate your project needs carefully. Latex paint is not a hazardous waste and may be discarded with the regular trash IF IT IS SOLIDIFIED FIRST. Solid or liquid oil-based (alkyd) paints should always be brought to the hazardous waste collection events. Choose To Re-Use. Buying durable products, buying used products, and repairing products can reduce the amount of trash we make and reduce the amount of natural resources we use up. Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do wi thought. Businesses with unwanted materials and equipment can find a buyer on the Vermont Business Materials Exchange at www.vbmex.net. Compost At Home: Begin composting your kitchen food scraps, or find ways to do more. Separating food and yard waste can reduce the amount of trash your household produces by 25% or more! Compost bins are available for sale through the Rutland County Solid Waste District (RCSWD) for a nominal fee and many home and garden stores carry composting systems. Can't or don't want to get involved with a composter? How about a Green Cone food digestor. Check out our information page to see how you can lower your trash costs even if you are not able to compost. Sell or Donate Salvageable Goods:Bring clothing, household goods, reusable building goods to the area's many used goods stores. Or have a tag sale or free pile by the road. Your trash is sometimes someone else's treasure. Ban the Burn Barrel: Trash has changed, and now we know that burning trash emits many nasty chemicals and particles into the air. Backyard burning hurts us, our children, and our natural surrounds. See Can I Burn? for more information. Don't Trash Mercury: Mercury in our environment has created the need for fish consumption advisories in New England. mercury can be found in thermostats and fluorescent light bulbs. Please bring these items to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events for proper disposal. Reduce the Use of Hazardous Substances: Reducing waste means reducing the volume OR toxicity of waste. Using baking soda, vinegar, borax, and other low-impact cleaners reduces your waste impact, and can save you money. See Non-Toxic Cleaners for more information. Make More Time for Your Real Priorities:It turns out that most people's real priorities in life--family, relaxation, connecting with nature, for examples--don't rely on heavy use of "stuff." So making time for your real priorities just might reduce your waste. Remember, the landfill starts at the shopping plaza. Buy only what you need. Reduce Junk Mail: Another good way to reduce waste is to reduce the junk mail that comes to your home or business. Five to six million tons of junk mail is thrown away unopened every year in the United States. Reducing the amount of junk mail that comes to your home or business is also a way to reduce waste. The best way to reduce junk mail is to have your name taken off mailing lists. The first step is to write to the Mail Preference Service of the Direct Marketing Association. Provide them with all possible variations of your name and address and request that your name be removed from their association's mailing lists. The address is:
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Solid Waste Alliance Communities(SWAC) |
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| What Do I Do With...? | Living Green | Less-Toxic Alernatives | Can I Burn? |