Recycle and compost
"The composition of landfills is mostly paper/cardboard, yard trimmings, food waste, plastics and metals," said Peggy Denby, the executive administrator of Keep Atlanta Beautiful. Cut down on the 7 1/2 pounds of garbage most Americans produce by recycling and composting your waste. Look up recycling stations and curbside pickup locations at keepatlantabeautiful.org and georgiarecycles.org. Need more motivation? Visit a landfill near you.
Champion reusable products
Bring a water bottle and coffee mug to work. Pack your lunch in a Tupperware container. Use cloth bags at the grocery store. Avoid anything disposable.
Eat on site
Cut down on unnecessary plastic utensils, plastic wrappers and Styrofoam containers that accompany restaurant to-go orders. Pack reusable containers for your leftovers — it takes Styrofoam 500 years to decompose in a landfill.
Donate old stuff
No one can use your old clothes, toys or books when they’re sitting in a landfill. Provide for someone else and declutter in the process.
Be mindful of paper
Sign up to pay your bills online. Recycle junk mail and advertisements. Wrap gifts with newspaper. When you do need to print something, recycle it.
Dispose hazardous waste carefully
Read the labels for items such as motor oil, pesticides, household cleaners and paints, and dispose of them properly. Don’t pour them out on the ground. This can affect the soil and contaminate drinking water.
Recycle your tires
Old tires attract rodents, they don’t decompose well and they’re flammable. Instead of tossing them, take old tires to a car dealer or garage to be recycled properly.
Shop at farmers markets
Bring your own cloth bags and fill them with locally grown foods. You’ll eat healthier, help the Earth, reduce plastic waste and support your community.
Buy in bulk
Eliminate extra drives to the store and cut down on excess packaging by buying heavy-use items in bulk.
Only buy what you need
If you want something but know you won’t use it often, borrow it from a friend. When possible, buy used items or repurpose something you already own.
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