Aside from recycling, there are other ways to reduce your waste and become a steward for the environment. The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. By reducing consumption and reusing goods, consumers and industries can save natural resources and decrease waste management costs. Unfortunately, the amount of waste generated in the U.S. has been increasing. The EPA estimates that between 1960 and 2010, the amount of waste each person generated increased from 2.7 to 4.4 pounds per day. That results in about 250 million tons of waste generated in the U.S. in 2010! Below are some friendly tips to help you reduce your waste:

Reduce

• Just say no to the plastic bag - Approximately 380 billion plastic bags are used in the U.S. every year. That's more than 1,200 bags used per resident per year. Only 12% of plastic bags are recycled in the U.S.
• Use a reusable container and bottle - Containers and packaging comprise almost 30%, or 76 million tons, of U.S. trash. Consider using reusable containers to pack your meals on-the-go and using a reusable bottle to refill with beverages of your choice.

Reuse

• There are reuse centers in most communities. Think about donating your unwanted, used but reusable goods, such as clothes and electronics, to Goodwill and Salvation Army centers.
• Turn your waste into a resource! Consider taking your one-sided paper and fashioning them into scrap paper notepads. Old incandescent light bulbs can be used to make terrariums and flower vases.

Recycle

• Pinpoint items in your household or office waste stream that can be collected and recycled. Recyclingbin.com offers products to make the recycling and collecting process easy and convenient!