Today is America Recycles Day! While We hope you recycle on a daily basis, we know that some habits are hard to break. I have compiled five easy things you can do to do your part AND save money!
1) Ditch the Paper Plates!
Really, get rid of them! I grew up where real plates were only used when it was a holiday or Grandma and Grandpa made a visit. It wasn’t until I was out on my own that I realized how terrible paper plates are for the environment. Do you know 970,000 tons of paper plates are thrown away annually – and none of those can be recycled because they are contaminated with food particles? If you MUST use paper plates, purchase recycled paper plates and make it a rare occasion!
2) Ditch the Bottled Water!
Nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled, instead taking thousands of years to decompose. I don’t know about you but, that statistic does not settle well with me! With so many better options available, like water filters, and reusable water bottles, it just makes more sense financially and environmentally! If you must drink bottled water, please, PLEASE recycle the bottle!
3) Go Rechargeable!
In the United States, Americans purchase nearly three billion batteries annually, and about 179,000 tons of those end up in landfills. Unfortunately, in this day and age, batteries are a necessary evil. Instead of continuously buying new batteries, invest in rechargeable batteries. It will save you money in the long run and make your life oh so much easier on Christmas morning.
Funny enough, while I was writing this blog post, the batteries in my wireless keyboard died. I popped in my recharged batteries and I was good to go!
4) Refill, Please!
Hand soap, window cleaner and many other household items we go through quickly can be refilled instead of purchasing a new bottle. So the next time you are at the store and reach for that brand new bottle of hand soap or cleaner, reach for a refill – it will last you much longer and save you money!
5) Disposable Diapers – Ditch ‘em!
By the time a child is toilet trained, a parent will change between 5,000 and 8,000 diapers, adding up to approximately 3.5 million tons of waste in U.S. landfills each year. People tend to think cloth diapers are something of the past and inconvenient, but there is a raising amount of families choosing to use cloth diapers and diaper services instead of disposable to save money and help the environment….plus, those cloth diapers are so darn cute!
Whatever you do, please think twice about what you use and how you dispose of it!
