Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Before you toss an item into the trash, think about this:

There are environmental and economic benefits to REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!

Reducing the amount of goods we consume so that we purchase only what we truly need not only saves us money, but it lowers our burden on the environment. The less we use, the less we throw away- which ensures that there will be adequate resources for our future generations. Measure your Eco-Footprint here.

Reusing or repurposing items can be a great way to keeps goods from ending up in the landfill. Remember ‘hand-me-downs’ as a kid? Same idea. And the expression ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ still holds true today! Give your items a new life either in your own home or to someone in need! Check out FreeCycle, Bikes not Bombs, Salvation Army, and other organizations for opportunities to reuse.

Recycling is beneficial to the environment. When we recycle material we reduce the need to harvest natural resources like trees, or fossil fuels for the production of new materials. In turn, this reduction saves energy as it takes less energy to manufacture products from recycled material than virgin natural resources.

When we recycle material instead of throwing it away, we are conserving landfill space for true trash. Recycling helps to increase the capacity of landfills thus extending their working life.

There are also economic benefits to recycling. In Massachusetts, as in other parts of the country, it is much more expensive to dispose of material as trash than it is to recycle them. We end up saving money by reducing, reusing, and recycling materials where possible. Additionally, reusing and recycling creates jobs in Massachusetts*.

List of items banned from landfills per Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

* Massachusetts DEP Buying Recycled: Myths and Tips fact sheet