Waste

Curb your impact by taking on a challenge to reduce your waste! Practice the "5 RS" - Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle - during the EcoChallenge and beyond with the suggested actions below.

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Compost Food Waste

I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill per day by composting my food.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

WikiHow: How to Compost
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DAILY ACTION
Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending (___) disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug.

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DAILY ACTION
Print Double Sided

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper per day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided.

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DAILY ACTION
Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep (___) disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

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DAILY ACTION
Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Treehugger: 11 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Waste Today
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DAILY ACTION
Use Reusable Containers

I will only use reusable containers for my lunches at work or school.

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DAILY ACTION
Recycle Everything I Can

I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

Betty Shelley's Reduce Your Waste Project
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DAILY ACTION
Avoid Disposables

I will not use any disposable plates, cups, or cutlery.

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DAILY ACTION
Needs vs. Wants

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.
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ACTION RESOURCES:

An introduction to the Idea of Sufficiency
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DAILY ACTION
Reduce Unwanted Mail

I will reduce the amount of unwanted mail I receive (catalogs, phone books, etc.).

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ONE-TIME ACTION
Reduce Food Packaging

I will only purchase bulk food items and avoid all single-package items.

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DAILY ACTION
Launch Recycling

I will start a recycling program at my school. If a recycling program exists, I will advocate for ways to improve and expand it.

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ONE-TIME ACTION
Buy Nothing But Food

I will not purchase anything but food during the challenge.

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DAILY ACTION
Advocate For Composting

I will advocate for a composting program at my school. If a composting program exists, I will advocate ways to improve and expand it.

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ONE-TIME ACTION
Lobby for Reusables

I will lobby my workplace to have reusable dishes and silverware in order to minimize disposables.

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ONE-TIME ACTION
Carry my Trash

I will carry all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash with me to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

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DAILY ACTION
CREATE A CUSTOM ACTION

Ideally, you’ll choose at least one measurable goal so that you can measure your success but there are no limits on what you can choose—so exercise your creativity!

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