Organically Inclined

by Melanie Bowden
Everyone’s heard of recycling, but what about precycling?Also known as source reduction, precycling is reducing the amount of trash you generate in the first place.Not only can you lower trash going to your local landfill, but you can save money to boot.
You can save as much as $3,000 a year by being more aware of your shopping habits and always buying the largest size your household can use.According to the Save Money and the Environment Too campaign, buying in large sizes saves a family of four $175 a year on apple juice and $118 a year on cereal, while producing 50 percent less waste.On average, individual oatmeal and cereal packs cost three times as much per serving, and cookie and chip packages twice as much per serving, when compared to the large sizes.
Stay-at-home mom Lisa Horton found the statistics surprising.“I didn’t realize it was that substantial a savings,” she says.“I do buy in bulk and it helps, but I could do more–like use more reusable items.I think making the public aware of little things they can do is really important.
SOURCE REDUCTION TIPS
Simple things like always using a travel mug for the coffee you buy on the way to work and buying tires with the highest rating, so that they need to be replaced less often, can make a difference.
Jill Boone, a Countywide Recycling Programs Coordinator, adds, “Not always buying new is one of the best ways people can cut down on trash.For example, in our county there is a store where people can get doors, windows, etcetera, from houses that have been torn down.People can even come into a house before it is taken apart and say what they want.”
HOLIDAY IDEAS
Have you ever noticed how much more trash you have during the holidays?The following ideas can help you cut back this year:
• Bring your own reusable canvas bag when shopping.
• Send online greeting cards or purchase cards from recycled materials.
• Consider giving charitable donations as gifts.Or shop for gifts like museum memberships or tickets to events rather than buying items that will just clutter someone’s home.
• Use reusable wrap such as gift bags instead of wrapping paper.
• Recycle wrinkled wrapping paper by running it through a paper shredder and using it instead of tissue paper when packaging gifts.
• Make gift tags from last year’s holiday cards or wrapping paper.
• Since tinsel can’t be recycled, use alternatives like icicle lights.
MORE WAYS TO PRECYCLE
Less junk mail means less trash.Send a letter with your name and address stating that you wish to be removed from mailing lists to: DMA Mail Preference Service, P. O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512.To stop receiving a catalog, call the catalog’s 800 number and ask to be deleted from their mailing list.
Kelly Moran, a member of a Solid Waste Advisory Committee, advises, “Think carefully about what you buy in the first place.If it will only add to the clutter in your home, maybe it’s a purchase you can skip.If you do have items to throw out, donate them to the Goodwill or Salvation Army.”Donations may be tax deductible.
Since lawn and yard clippings make up approximately 30% of the waste stream, Moran also recommends that citizens consider composting.Information to get you started can be found in the Compost section of the website: www.recycleworks.org.
You can also become a member of your local Freecycle Network by going to: www.freecycle.org.Freecycle is a grassroots movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns.Membership is free.
START EARLY
Teaching children about precycling, before they develop bad habits, is one of the best ways to lower the amount of future trash.Moran says, “The children will carry those lessons into adulthood.When residents gain environmental knowledge, there is a ripple effect in the community.”
Set an example in your home.Use rechargeable batteries.Donate used magazines and books to the library or a hospital.Repair broken items instead of replacing them.Use cloth towels and napkins rather than paper ones.
Young or old, it’s never too late to be a part of the source reduction effort.The environment and your wallet will appreciate it.

Melanie Bowden is a mother of two, writer, teacher, and writing coach. Download a free chapter of her book Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me? True Stories of New Motherhood or subscribe to her free writing newsletter at melaniebowden.com. She loves to get email from her readers. Drop her a line at: melaniebowden@earthlink.net