FIX YOUR STUFF TO REDUCE WASTE |
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Repairing products reduces manufacturing which is good for the environment
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Take a minute right now to learn more about waste and waste management, so you can become a key player in making our world a safe and healthy place.
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MAKE A DIFFERENCE
FIX YOUR STUFF YOURSELF Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Recycle These great ways YOU can eliminate waste and protect your environment! You can help by learning about and practicing the R's of waste management: Reduce, repair, reuse, and recycle! Practicing all three of these activities every day is not only important for a healthy environment, but it can also be fun too. |
Waste, and how we choose to handle it, affects our world's environment—that's YOUR environment. The environment is everything around you including the air, water, land, plants, and man-made things. And since by now you probably know that you need a healthy environment for your own health and happiness, you can understand why effective waste management is so important to YOU and everyone else. The waste we create has to be carefully controlled to be sure that it does not harm your environment and your health.
We make way too many disposables
All that garbage started as things that were made, grown, or harvested from the Earth for us to buy, eat or use. The trouble is, the amount of things we buy and dispose of is becoming a problem. We are running out of resources to make all the things we need and running out of space to throw out all that stuff. We need to learn to repair, fix and reuse things.
Researchers have found that Americans each make about 4.5 pounds of garbage every day. The United States makes more garbage than any other country on the planet. We have 5% of the people on Earth, but make almost 33% of all the world’s garbage! So as landfills keep filling up, people will have to find more green land for all that trash.
We make way too many disposables
All that garbage started as things that were made, grown, or harvested from the Earth for us to buy, eat or use. The trouble is, the amount of things we buy and dispose of is becoming a problem. We are running out of resources to make all the things we need and running out of space to throw out all that stuff. We need to learn to repair, fix and reuse things.
Researchers have found that Americans each make about 4.5 pounds of garbage every day. The United States makes more garbage than any other country on the planet. We have 5% of the people on Earth, but make almost 33% of all the world’s garbage! So as landfills keep filling up, people will have to find more green land for all that trash.
Plastic
Plastic IS waste.
90% of items submitted for recycling end up in landfills.
Glass is an endlessly renewable packaging material. It has some drawbacks, but it's virtues exceed that of other renewable products.
Manufacturers could be mandated, at the federal level, to package in glass where possible new to eliminate all unnecessary plastic. The fear of lawsuits has created a death spiral of overzealous and wasteful packaging and it's understandable from a liability standpoint. Manufacturers could voluntarily or involuntarily create a pool of funds from those injured as the direct result of tampered packaging. They would be legislatively protected from individual liability if they comply with other standards.
Glass items could be returned at all grocery stores. A designated dumpster would receive all manufacturers' recyclable glass and would process it. A credit scheme would enable manufacturers to receive pro rata credits for their share of the profits.
It's doable.
It may require extra effort on everyone's part, but the rewards are endless.
Plastic IS waste.
90% of items submitted for recycling end up in landfills.
Glass is an endlessly renewable packaging material. It has some drawbacks, but it's virtues exceed that of other renewable products.
Manufacturers could be mandated, at the federal level, to package in glass where possible new to eliminate all unnecessary plastic. The fear of lawsuits has created a death spiral of overzealous and wasteful packaging and it's understandable from a liability standpoint. Manufacturers could voluntarily or involuntarily create a pool of funds from those injured as the direct result of tampered packaging. They would be legislatively protected from individual liability if they comply with other standards.
Glass items could be returned at all grocery stores. A designated dumpster would receive all manufacturers' recyclable glass and would process it. A credit scheme would enable manufacturers to receive pro rata credits for their share of the profits.
It's doable.
It may require extra effort on everyone's part, but the rewards are endless.
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REPLACE PARTSBroken bed rails? No need to throw out the bed, simply replace them. Many repair parts are available.
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WE HAVE TOO MUCHWe buy too much and dispose of too much; reduction of this lifestyle is no longer optional. Humans are generating too much trash and cannot deal with it in a sustainable way.
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OLD FURNITURE IS NEWOlder furniture can be rebuilt, repainted and updated with a simple fresh coat of paint or new legs.
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