Often people do not quite know how to start reducing.  At first glance it seems like foreign territory, and you can’t tell where to begin.  Some of the more simple solutions are often the ones that evade us.  For instance, we can buy products which are more durable.   The longer they last,  the less often they have to be replaced.   Sometimes this means a  larger  initial investment,  but in  the long term  money is  saved because  you have bought  something of higher quality.   Plus, the added bonus is that you have helped the environment at the same time by reducing solid waste.

Give away items that you don’t want.  This may seem like common sense, but you might be surprised at how many things are thrown away when a person doesn’t want them anymore.  Before you throw something out, consider if it may be useful to another person.  People who have little income or who have had an emergency change their lives often are in dire need of clothes and furniture, and they are not especially picky about where they get  it.

Buy  products  which  have been  made  from  recycled  goods.   By doing so,  you  have  reduced  the amount  of material which must be produced to  manufacture something.   If this is not possible,  at least check  to see if the packaging of the products you buy is made from recycled materials. Many cardboard boxes will state quite visibly on the outside if they have been produced with recycled fibers.

Other types of reduction are more subtle.  Some of these involve our use of electricity.  If we buy energy-efficient appliances, we use less electricity in our homes.  We can also keep our homes at lower temperatures in the winter and higher temperatures in the summer to cut down on heating and cooling requirements.  The use of ceiling fans also helps to circulate the air more effectively.  Because less energy is used, utility providers also do not need to produce as much for their customers.  This cuts down on many types of problems, including air and water pollution.

Reduction in our mode  of transportation is also important.   If it is possible,  we should  utilize carpools or public transport to go to work,  run errands,  or engage in recreation.   Another way to reduce energy use is to combine errands.   If we plan our days more effectively,  we can do our errands on the way to or from work and therefore save unnecessary emergency trips after we reach home.  All of these things will cut down both on energy use (fuel) and on the air pollution these machines create.  It will also cut down on that major headache:  traffic jams.

Another area that most people do not consider often is water usage.  When we use water, we do not think about it as being wasted because it will eventually be re-used in most cases.  However, before it can be re-used, it must go through an intensive cleaning  process which makes  it unavailable for quite some time.   One way that we can help is to pay  attention  to the  amount of  water  which we  use.   Often we do not  realize how much  water we  waste needlessly when brushing our teeth, washing dishes, or washing clothes.  Many people do not even think to change the water level in their washers when they wash a small load of clothes.   Yet,  I have not seen a washer that does not have this option.

Unnecessary use of water during periods of drought can cause serious problems for a community.  Often there is a limit on  the amount of  water  one can use  during these periods and for  what purposes it can be used.   Nothing is more frustrating than doing your part to conserve water and then watching your neighbor water his begonias!
 
 

REUSE

Another method of reducing waste is by using items as many times               as possible before discarding them.

There are many products which we buy that can be used over again if we simply think about it.  For instance, if you use paper towels, there are those which are strong enough to be rinsed out and used again.   Plastic zipper bags for food storage can be washed after use and re-used for another food item.   I have been able to get as many as three uses out of  one bag with this method.   Plastic grocery bags can often  be returned to the  store for further use by other customers.   This is something  I do  on a regular basis.   It is sometimes inconvenient,  but we have to start somewhere.

If a product can no longer be used for its intended purpose, consider how else it might be useful.  Old towels which are tattered  can be  cut up and made  into cleaning cloths.   Larger cardboard boxes  which might have contained appliances can be converted into toys or storage containers for children.  Alternately, they can be given to someone who is moving so that they have something in which to pack.   Paper which has only been used on one side can be converted into pads for making grocery lists or tracking telephone messages.  Glass food containers can be used to store other things when they are empty.  It only takes a little ingenuity to find another use for a product.
 
 

RECYCLE

After we have reduced and reused as much as possible, we should try          to recycle as much of our waste as possible.

Many materials which we use can be recycled.  Aluminum cans, plastic containers, cardboard, glass, and paper are among the major ones.   Unfortunately,  many communities still do not have functioning recycling programs.   This makes it very  difficult for the average  person and places the  responsibility squarely  in our hands to collect the items, separate them, and take them to an area for recycling.  This is time-consuming and can be very frustrating.

The results, however, are worth the effort.  By recycling our products, solid waste decreases dramatically. This is an issue that has been given much greater attention in other countries than it has in the United States.  Most other countries have many more people and much less available land than we do.   Therefore,  they have been forced by necessity to make much greater strides in recycling than we have done here.   In Hiroshima,  Japan,  for instance, their solid waste was reduced by 40% between 1976 and 1983 just due to their recycling efforts (Owen et al. 429).

There are  other areas  affected by our  recycling efforts.   There could be an  estimated 350  million trees saved annually if there were just a 30% increase in paper recycling (Owen et al. 426).  It takes 95% less energy to make an aluminum can from recycled aluminum than it does  to make one from scratch  (Owen et al. 428).   Less energy requirements lowers air and water pollution as well.  The benefits far outweigh the sacrifices we would be required to make.

However, for recycling to really be successful, everyone must be involved.  The government must be instrumental in educating people and in providing incentives for its citizens to recycle.  They also have the responsibility to set examples for the country to follow.  Businesses must assume their responsibility and do their part as well.  We as individuals must realize that we are as much a part of the problem as anyone.  It is only through all of us working as a team that we can achieve lasting results.
 
 

EDUCATE PEOPLE

One of the best ways we can help environmental causes is      to educate people.

This does  not require that  everyone become a teacher in a public school.   Rather, it requires that we educate the people with  whom we associate.   We need to  teach our children to respect the environment,  to leave an area as clean  as it was  when we found it.   We need to remind  our friends that throwing  trash on  the road  has negative effects on society and causes money to be wasted on employing someone to clean up after them.  This money could be better spent on many other types of programs.  We need to teach others how to reduce, reuse, and recycle.  But the most effective method of teaching others is by setting a good example.  When you try to be a good world citizen and think of the effects of your own actions, everyone around you will be affected by your attitude.
 
 

Interdisciplinary Approach	Whose Responsibility Is It?
Why Should I Care?	Loss of Biodiversity
Pollution	Terrestrial Ecosystems