July 2006
Multifamily RethinkWaste Nexus
Transforming the Way We Think about Trash
The U.S. manages to produce a quarter of the world's waste despite the fact that its population of 300 million is less than 5% of the world's population, according to 2005 estimates by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Paper and paperboard, food scraps and plastics dominate this waste. What can you do about this staggering fact?
Reduce :: Hot Tips for Grilling Green
If you are hosting a BBQ or summer party, you can make it more green by following these five simple tips:
- When shopping for your favorite barbecue makings, avoid the Styrofoam tray and buy in bulk direct from the butcher counter.
- When it's time to fire up the grill, get the coals going by putting them on top of a metal chimney filled with rumpled newspaper.
- Choose to use reusable plastic dishes and cloth napkins. You can find these goodies at garage sales and thrift stores.
- Serve beverages in recyclable bottles and cans.
- Send guests home with leftovers packed in reusable containers, like margarine tubs.
For more tips, see our page on summer waste-saving activities.
Reuse :: Bring Your Own Plastic Bags
To make a dent in all that trash we create in the USA, consider bringing your own (BYO) plastic bags to the grocery store. Those plastic shopping bags from last week are still of use this week! Better yet, bring a reusable bag, like canvas, and avoid the plastic all together.
And, go beyond just the shopping bags, and reuse those plastic fruit and vegetable bags, too. You can even reuse newspaper plastic bags to corral those potatoes. Or, pass up the plastic bags altogether for food that already has a "package" such as oranges, bananas, and onions.
This small step will make a difference in the amount of bags you consume, and keep your home tidy.
Recycle :: Calling all Cell Phones
Starting July 1, 2006, the California Cell Phone Recycling Act (AB 2901) requires some of the state's largest cell phone retailers — Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless, which combined control 86% of the wireless market in the U.S. — to collect used cell phones, at no cost to the consumer, to be reused, recycled or properly disposed of.
You can also drop off mobile phones to support collections to benefit community groups at select city government locations. For more information, visit our Million Mobile Phone collection page.
Do your part to help the planet: reduce, reuse, and recycle!
More Info
This article produced by South Bayside Waste Management Authority/RethinkWaste, a regional agency, formed in 1982 to help local communities manage and reduce waste. To learn more about us, visit About SBWMA.
To be added or removed from this list, contact the RethinkWaste Recycling Coordinator at (650) 802-3500.
