Waste Reduction in Savannah

You’re tired of landfills cropping up around your city, sick of seeing litter everywhere you look and hate taking out the garbage as often as you do. You’re ready to help save the earth by reducing your waste. Here are some smart and easy ways you can achieve your goal of waste reduction.

Before getting into waste itself, let’s go back a bit to before a product is even produced. What if there was a way to reduce waste before it starts? With source reduction, there is. Source reduction actually decreases the amount of energy and materials it takes to create a product. By making a package or product smaller, it takes less materials and energy to create it. Then when the product is shipped, it actually takes less fuel to transport it, which saves energy. And since the products are smaller, they take up less space in landfills.

Now, when you go to the grocery store to buy products, keep in the mind the amount of waste that product will generate. When looking for cleaning products, search for ones that say “concentrated.” Concentrated products do the same job, but use less product. Also, buy the largest-sized container you think will be used in your home –this not only saves you money, it uses less packaging.

Stay away from disposable items (paper plates, cups, etc). Buy products that are durable so they can be reused often. If you spill juice on the floor, wipe it up with a wash cloth instead of a paper towel. Instead of buying liquid soap, opt for bar soap – it cuts down on a lot of packaging!

Before you even get to the store, think of the best way to get there. If it’s a nice day and you live close, why not carrying a large tote bag and go for a stroll? If you know your friend is going to the grocery store, ask to tag along. It’s more fun than going alone and you’ll save gas by not having to use the car.

Reducing waste is not about making big changes – it’s about making small changes that count.