The average person in the West throws out their own body weight in garbage every three months.  Disposing of our domestic waste requires landfill space, increases the number of garbage trucks on our roads and creates pollution problems, so reducing the amount we throw away makes sense 

Here are some ways to eliminate waste:

1)  Recycle:  Recycling generally means to re-form something.  Plastics can be made into carpet fibers, garden furniture, park benches and so on.  Metal and glass are recycled by being melted down and remolding them.  Recycling also means we should purchase products with recycled content as much as possible.  We are all being encouraged to recycle now, but recycling is only one way that we can minimize the garbage we produce.

  2) Reduce:  Our landfills are becoming full of needless waste.  Reducing the amount of garbage we create is one of the best things we can do for the environment.   Waste reduction is the most preferred method of waste management and goes a long way toward protecting the environment.  The benefits of preventing waste go beyond reducing reliance on other forms of waste disposal. Preventing waste also can mean economic savings for communities, businesses, schools, and individual consumers. 

Nearly all our waste comes from the things we buy, so reducing waste doesn’t start at the garbage cans but at the store.  Many companies, such as Kelloggs and General Mills are reducing the packaging on their products.  By reducing their packaging by 10-15%, trees are saved and the amount of waste is drastically reduced.  Purchasing durable, long-lasting goods will also reduce the amount of waste we throw away.

3) Reuse:  Reusing items means giving them another lease on life before discarding or recycling them.  Taking unwanted clothes, shoes and household items to thrift stores is a great way to do this.  There are more than 6,000 reuse centers around the country, ranging from specialized programs for building materials or unneeded materials in schools to local programs such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, according to the Reuse Development Organization.  Here are some ways to reduce waste by reusing products: 

• Use durable coffee mugs.
• Use cloth napkins or towels.
• Donate old magazines or surplus equipment.
• Reuse boxes.
• Turn empty jars into containers for leftover food.
• Purchase refillable pens and pencils.

We can eliminate tons of plastic water bottles in our landfills by buying and using reusable hard plastic bottles. The plastic containers that fruit comes in are just right for starting seedling or use them to mix paint. 

There is no simple answer to the environmental problems we have created by our wasteful ways.  However, by doing small things to help, together we can make a big difference.  Recycling and reusing are great options.  But reducing our waste in the first place is the best option of all.  Remember recycling industries only exist if there is a market for their products, so buy recycled goods whenever you can.