Oct 15 to 21 is National Waste Reduction Week

2007 National Waste Reduction Week (WRW) campaign, October 15 to 21, 2007. The purpose of the week is to encourage waste reduction and minimization initiatives at home, at school and in communities and businesses.

Here are five easy tips:

1. Do a home garbage audit
Where can you make the greatest improvement in reducing waste? Just look in your garbage can for the answer. Do a garbage audit of your home to find out the biggest culprits: plastics, styrofoam, tins, paper, or food scraps. Then ask yourself what you can do to eliminate these items from your waste.

2. Don’t buy garbage
Make sure you’re not filling garbage bags when you go shopping:

• avoid non-recyclable plastics
• buy reusable and refillable containers
• buy in bulk instead of single servings
• buy durable products
• don’t buy things you don’t really need
• take your own shopping bags

• avoid toxic and hazardous products

3. Leave no trace
No matter where you are going plan your trips to be garbage-free and pack out all your trash. Living in the city should be no different than if you were camping in the wilderness, keep the environment clean.

4. Compost
Use your green bin or bags as part of your municipality’s composting program.

Even better, compost (or use a worm bin) your own organic matter and create your own soil for your garden or house plants.

5. Sort out the recyclables and hazardous waste
Rinse out all food containers and store them with your other recyclables until after the strike. Be sure to set aside any hazardous waste (including batteries, oils and pesticides) and check the regional household hazardous waste website for information on safe disposal.

In a lifetime, the average North American will throw away 600 times his or her own weight in garbage. A 68kg adult will leave a legacy of 40,825 kg of trash – much of which can be recycled and reused.

Visit www.wrwcanada.com for information
In support of Blog Action Day

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