Beyond Recycling
REDUCE, REUSE, REPAIR AND RECYCLE
The four R's include Reduce, Reuse, Repair
and Recycle. Incorporating these principles into our daily lives
reduces the waste going to landfills, protects our natural resources
and will make a lasting difference in the quality of life we
leave for future generations.
REDUCE
Reduce the amount of garbage you generate
by purchasing products with less packaging. Purchase items in
bulk, family size or in condensed form. Avoid packaging made
with two or more materials such as juice containers made from
paper laminated onto plastic or foil. Avoid all products that
have unnecessary packaging.
- Use canvas or string bags when shopping.
- Use cloth rags, napkins and handkerchiefs
instead of paper towels and tissues.
- Remove your name from direct marketing mailing
lists to reduce junk mail.
- Compost to reduce yard waste.
- Use cloth diapers when possible. Landfills
are not designed to accept human waste products. Diapers can
create a health hazard.
- Never release balloons into the environment.
They are extremely hazardous to marine wildlife.
REUSE
Reuse what you can. Every time you buy something,
think of ways to reuse it instead of throwing it away. An important
way to reduce the amount of waste you and your family generate
is to reuse a product as many times as you can. Water bottles,
cardboard boxes, shoe boxes, plastic and paper bags can all
be reused.
- Use rechargeable batteries.
- Reuse glass jars for storage.
- Reuse plastic margarine tubs and yogurt
containers for leftovers.
- Return your hangers and plastic garment
bags to your local dry cleaner.
- Give your old magazines to local senior
centers, churches or hospitals.
- Reuse styrofoam peanuts for packaging.
- Donate unneeded items to a local thrift
shop or charitable organization.
REPAIR
Repair electric and electronic products whenever
possible. When purchasing these items, buy durable, long lasting
products with long-term warranties. These products may cost
a bit more at first, but they will save you money in the long
run. Durable products need fewer repairs over time.
Please call your local appliance repair shop
instead of disposing of broken appliances. It may save you money
and it will defnitely save valuable landfll space.
BUY RECYCLED
Recycling is the process of collecting, processing
and re-manufacturing new products from used materials that have
been diverted from our landfills. By purchasing recycled products
whenever possible, you help to further local and national recycling
efforts.
Products made from recycled materials contain
a combination of pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled materials.
When you buy products, check to see if the product is made from
pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled materials.
- PRE-CONSUMER MATERIALS: Often referred to
as mill scraps. These are materials which never leave the
manufacturing plant, but are recycled internally.
- POST-CONSUMER MATERIALS: Represent products
that have been returned by consumers to a manufacturer for
recycling purposes. There are two recycling symbols currently
used by manufacturers when promoting recyclable products.
When attempting to purchase recycled products, look for the
recycling symbol on either the product or its packaging.
The symbol on the left indicates those products
that can be recycled. For example, cereal boxes made with white
paperboard are made from raw materials. Although these products
can be recycled, they are not made from recycled materials.
The symbol on the right indicates a product
is made from recycled materials. For example, cereal boxes containing
gray paperboard are made from post-consumer recycled materials.
The City of Santa Clarita passed a Resolution
calling for the purchase of recycled products in all City departments.
When purchasing paper goods and other products, please support
Santa Clarita's "Buy Recycled Campaign." Once consumers choose
to buy recycled products, markets for recycled materials will
increase. Remember, if you're not buying recycled products,
you're not really recycling.
