Local Action for Global Results

 

Ideas for Local Action

Follow the 6 Rs

3 traditional:

recycle symbolReduce: Buy products without unnecessary packaging. Choose loose vegetables, bulk foods, and items from bins rather than those sealed in plastic. Recognize and support store managers when they stock products with little or no packaging. Consider large or economy-sized items for products that are used frequently (ex. laundry soap & pet foods). Check your tires once a month, since properly inflating your tires improves gas mileage. (According to the Department of Energy, underinflated tires waste more than two million gallons of gasoline per day! They're also a safety hazard.)

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Reuse: Use up your existing stock of paper or foam plates, cups, napkins, and tableware at picnics this summer, and don't buy any more. Whether for home or office, use sturdy cups, dishes, and utensils. Use rechargeable batteries. Use old t-shirts for dusting, sponges for cleaning, and cloth towels for sopping up spills instead of paper towels, use-&-toss dusting cloths, and the like.

recycle symbolRecycle: Every county has slightly different guidelines on what can be recycled, when, and how. Check with your county's recycling department. Guidelines can often be found online. For Cattaraugus County, go to http://www.cattco.org/dpw/dpw_info.asp?Parent=14502 . Go to http://www.alleganyco.com/default.asp?show=btn_dpw/recycling for Allegany County.

recycle symbolReconsider: Do you really need that new __________ (insert item you're considering buying)? Is the old one still serviceable? Will your life be measurably changed without it? Most westerners are entirely too enamored by the things we own. Our desire to acquire often leads to stress, fear (of loss), and greed. Make do or do without – it helps everyone.

recycle symbolRestore: Sometimes restoration is really simple, for example sewing on a few missing buttons, raising or lowering a hemline. It can also be quite complex, particularly in an era and economy of planned obsolescence. But it can be done! The old formica table that's been in your garage can be cleaned and add a touch of panache to your family room. The leaky soup pot makes a great home for your house plants with a saucer under it. Buy used items and think creatively!

recycle symbolRot: Composting is the only sensible thing to do with your food scraps. If you don't garden or don't have anyplace to keep your compost, simply fill an old bucket with your table scraps and take it to Canticle Farms when it gets full – they'll welcome your addition!

Think about what's in the items you buy – what percentage is natural material that will eventually return to the earth? The higher the natural content, the better. Eliminate your use of manmade materials wherever possible.