Reduce and Reuse/Charitable Organizations

Reduce

  
Waste reduction means cutting down on the amount of material thrown away. Just like recycling, waste reduction can help protect the environment by saving natural resources, reducing pollution, saving energy, and preserving landfill space.

Waste reduction will require changing habits in the home, in the office, and in the way you shop. Some examples of waste reduction are:

• Buy only what you need
• Avoid over-packaged products
• Avoid disposable goods such as lighters and cameras
• Purchase in bulk
• Reuse shopping bags
• Avoid goods packaged in non-recyclable materials
• Buy products made from recycled materials
• Buy a live Christmas tree and transplant it outside after the holidays
• Use lawn and garden tools that require human energy instead of fossil fuels
• Try friendlier alternatives to harsh commercial products. Baking soda, water, and vinegar makes a great all-purpose cleaner.

   
When you creatively reuse items you save money. Even more important, you conserve resources, reduce the need for garbage collection, and use less landfill space, all of which help protect the environment (and your budget).

• Leave grass clippings on the lawn. Clippings return nutrients to the soil and avoid the work of bagging.
• Composting grass and leaves eliminates yard waste and collection costs, and drastically reduces the need to purchase most fertilizers and planting supplements.
• Use reclaimed materials (pallets) to construct compost bins.
• Reuse plastic or paper grocery bags when shopping. Better yet, use cloth or mesh bags to hold your purchases.
• Use cloth towels, napkins and rags instead of disposable paper products which cannot be recycled.
• Make cleaning rags out of old clothing, sheets, and towels.
• Purchase items in bulk or economy sizes to save on packaging. It also saves on the cost of goods since you pay for product, not packaging.
• Avoid using disposable products such as cups, plates, cutlery, and napkins.
• Reuse emptied boxes and containers. Use shredded paper or newspapers for packing material.
• Reduce paper usage by making two-sided copies, using e-mail and voicemail instead of faxing, and routing memos through departments instead of sending separate memos to individuals.
• Use refillable toner cartridges, ink jet cartridges, pens, mechanical pencils and tape dispensers.
• Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible.

Charitable Organizations

    
Consider donating useable goods to a charitable organization. There is a large market for useable clothing, furniture, toys, kitchen items, and tools. Tax deductions are also available. Please call to confirm addresses and information before delivering material to any of the following groups. These references were assembled by the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works, Recycling Division. No recommendations or referrals are made as to the reliability or quality of the services provided by these vendors.

In addition to the organizations below, visit www.mdrecycles.org for other organizations who accept items for reuse.

Consignment Stores

Consignment stores agree to sell your items (clothing, furniture, etc.) for a percentage of the profit. There are several shops in Anne Arundel County; some specialize in one area, such as children's clothing. In general, the items in consignment stores are in very good condition. Check the yellow pages under "consignment shops", "furniture used", and "antiques".

Do you know of other non-profit organizations that accept donations? Please call us at (410) 222-7951 with the information and we will include it in future literature.