Waste PreventionWaste prevention means not creating the waste in the first place. It's a simple concept.
If you create less waste, you consume fewer resources and don't have to spend as much money to recycle or dispose of your waste. Individuals and businesses can often save a significant amount of money through waste prevention.
Waste prevention means reusing things, instead of buying new ones. It also means "reducing." For example, you can get off mailing lists to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, or you can buy products with reduced packaging. Reducing toxics in products also is waste prevention.
Information on:
- Waste Prevention Tips
- National Waste Prevention Coalition
- Reducing Your Junk Mail
- Greening Your Holiday
Reduce Your Junk Mail
King County's website has information on how to:
- Sign up for mail preference service
- Sign up for catalog choice
- Reduce unwanted phone books
Phone Books Opt-Out Option
Telephone books represent significant tonnage in the waste stream (660,000 tons per year). Thanks to a national effort spear-headed by the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), the phone book industry has now created an official national website where consumers can easily find out how to opt out from phone book delivery: Yellow Pages Association Opt-Out website.
This marks the first time the industry - through its two major trade groups, the Yellow Pages Association and the Association of Directory Publishers - has made this information easily available. This is a great first step in giving consumers a way to reduce unwanted waste. Discussions are continuing with industry groups to make this process even easier and more widely available for consumers.
More Information can be found on at the Product Stewardship Institute.
Source: Northwest Product Stewardship Council Associates Discussion List, March 6, 2009
An EcoConsumer balances consuming and conserving - Learn how here. We've added more tools and resources to help you reduce your environmental impact, and often save money and save time as well.
Find information on:
- EcoConsumer Blog, Facebook & Twitter
- News & Media
- Waste Calculator
- Earth Day Detox
- Green Holidays
- Request a Green Speaker
- And more...
CLIMATE CHANGE & SOLID WASTE
The products and services that we purchase, use and throw away have a significant impact on our climate. Learn more about the connection between your stuff, waste and climate change at the King County Climate Change & Solid Waste website . |
