Product Guide

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

When you shop, the products that you purchase can reflect your environmental values. With your purchases, you put in your vote for what you want to see on the shelves. In environmental shopping, each person's participation makes a big difference. The purchases you make will vary according to the choices you have, but always try to remember and apply The Three R's - REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.

These principles work under a priority system: recycling is important, but reduction and reuse are the most environmentally sound methods of dealing with solid waste. As a consumer, you are a source of waste-production, so it is through your activities that wastes are either gen03/22/2007vity that prevents waste at its source. It includes: REDUCING the amount of material used and/or the toxicity of the materials used to accomplish any task; REUSE of a product in its original form; use of REPAIRABLE, REFILLABLE, DURABLE products that result in a longer useful life. This list of buying options has been compiled with source reduction in mind -- consider them the next time you go shopping!

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Beverages

• Plastic six-pack rings are an example of reduced packaging (vs. cardboard boxes). However, be sure to cut up the rings so that wild animals do not become entangled in them when they're discarded.
• Don't buy straws -- they're unnecessary plastic.

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Condiments

Squeezable plastic containers are convenient but may not be the best option; so choose glass jars for ketchup, salad dressings, peanut butter, etc. (and recycle the jars!). Because of the details of the different recycling processes for the two materials, glass is often a better choice. OR, if you really want squeezable containers, buy them once, then clean and reuse them, refilling them from glass-bottled products.

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Dairy

• Buy milk in plastic jugs or glass bottles -- we can't recycle cardboard cartons. Even better, look for returnable glass milk bottles.
• Butter or margarine can be bought in sticks rather than in plastic tubs.
• Cheese can be purchased in wax or plain paper rather than in pre-packaged plastic -- ask at your deli counter.
• Cardboard egg cartons are much safer for the environment than styrofoam, and sometimes are made from recycled materials.

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Produce

• Try to bring your own canvas or mesh bag for produce. (Or, use brown paper bags instead of plastic. If you use plastic bags, take them to a grocery store that recycles them.)
• Don't buy produce pre-packaged on styrofoam trays and wrapped in plastic -- you're paying for all that extra packaging!
• Buy organic produce when available -- it's better for you and the environment because it's grown without pesticides, and it usually tastes better, too!

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Breads and Grains

• Purchase breads wrapped in paper or go to the in-store bakery and use your own bag.
• Pasta and grains can be bought in cardboard boxes or in bulk (for which you can bring your own containers), rather than in plastic packaging.

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Desserts and Snacks

• Buy boxed cookies and doughnuts rather than those on plastic trays.
• Unpopped popcorn can be found in glass jars instead of plastic bags.

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Cleaning Supplies

• Make your own non-toxic cleaning supplies. Vinegar, baking powder and borax are safe alternatives.
Try these alternatives:
• All purpose disinfectant: Mix one cup of borax to one-gallon hot water. Disinfects household surfaces.
• Windows & mirror cleaner: Put 1/4 cup white vinegar in a spray bottle and fill to the top with water. Spray on surface and rub with a lint-free rag or a piece of newspaper.
• Silver polish: Clean silver with a paste of baking soda and water.
• Laundry and dishwasher detergents can easily be bought in boxes rather than in plastic containers.
• Purchase straw brooms and cloth mops instead of plastic versions.
• Buy spray-pumps rather than aerosol containers of window cleaner, disinfectant, and furniture polish. Aerosols contain Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), substances harmful to the earth's protective ozone layer in the atmosphere. Plus, the spray-pumps are refillable.
• Read the labels of the cleaning supplies that you buy. Some products, like Murphy's Oil Soap or Borax are much better for the environment than others.
• Try to stay away from products with chlorine in them.
• Try to avoid using liquid drain openers -- it's a good bet that if you shouldn't get a product on your skin, then it's not too good for the environment.

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Toiletries and Personal Supplies

• Choose bar soap over liquid soap because bar soap comes with much less packaging. If you want liquid soap, bring an old container and buy it in bulk.
• Buy tampons with cardboard applicators rather than plastic, or buy brands that do not have applicators.
• Mouthwash and some hair products can be found in glass containers; buy the plastic bottle once, then keep refilling it from glass-bottled products.

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Checking Out

• When at the checkout counter, ask for your purchases to be bagged in your own shopping bag.
• Some places give a small discount if you bring your own bag. If your grocery store doesn't, request that they do -- remind them that it saves them money, too! Also, many stores will take plastic bags back and recycle them.

If you find your store doesn't offer alternatives, contact the manager and let him or her know you are concerned. Write to companies whose products you would buy if they were packaged differently, and let them know that a change in packaging would change your buying habits. If enough people call and write, management will respond with alternatives so their customers can make environmentally sound decisions!

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Bulk and Refillable

Look for items sold in bulk, returnable or refillable containers. This can save you money and reduce packaging waste. You can also contact companies directly and ask them to reduce packaging waste.

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Stop Junk Mail and Unsolicited Phone Calls

If you write to the following company, they will stop your name from being sold to most large mailing list companies. This will reduce your junk mail up to 75%.

Mail/Telephone Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 9008
Farmington, NY 11735-9008

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