Reduce - Reuse - Recycle and Make a resolution to recycle more in 2008!

I feel that we are so overexposed to these words that we no longer think about what they really mean. We live in such a disposable economy and as a result, our landfills are filling up entirely too quickly. My goal each day is to NOT put items in the trash and figure out a way to

• not use it as much (reduce)
  
  
• reuse it if I can
  
  
• recycle it when I can no longer use it anymore

Reduce - the concept behind reducing is to reduce your overall consumption of EVERYTHING. Do you really need the item in the first place OR if you do need the item, can you get away with 100 vs. 500 of the item? Think of this when it comes to any document you print, the amount of food you serve at an event, or the number of guest gifts you provide your attendees to cite a few examples.

Reuse - is it something that can be reused? From vases and stones and sand for floral arrangements to signs to informational brochures to beverage napkins that have been untouched by human hands.

Recycle - if your jurisdiction has a recycling program, use it to the max! If it doesn't, write your local officials about starting one. There is no better time than now to talk to your local officials about green initiatives! Before you thrown ANYTHING away, ask yourself, can this be recycled? Check out the list in my Green Tip of the Week provided by Co-op America . Another great site is www.earth911.com.

Green Tip:

Make a resolution to recycle more in 2008!

Co-op America has a fabulous list of 21 Things You Didn't Know You Can Recycle. From appliances and batteries and cloths to technotrash, toothbrushes and razors, you'll find it all here!