November 15 is “America Recycles Day”! Let’s celebrate together by focusing on all of the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
Practicing the 3 R’s helps protect our environment and preserve valuable landfill space. Here are some suggestions to help you reduce, reuse, and recycle better!
- Reduce paper usage by paying bills online. If you’re a customer of Sacramento County’s Department of Waste Management and Recycling, create an account for paperless billing by visiting the Consolidated Utilities Billing and Service website.
- Reduce the amount of packaging that may end up in the garbage by buying items such as juice, yogurt, laundry soap, etc. in bulk.
- When shopping, think: Do I need this? Will I use this? Do I already have this? Can I repair or mend what I already have? Can I borrow or rent this?
- Eat out a lot? Ask the restaurant not to include disposable utensils, plates, stacks of napkins and packets of condiments if you won’t use them.
- Reduce food waste by shopping with a grocery list, freezing leftovers for later, and by building a compost pile with fruit/vegetable peels, and soiled paper such as used paper napkins, and paper plates. View the Regional Recycling Backyard Composting Guide for more information on composting.
- Reuse single-use plastic bags (think: grocery bags) for wastebasket liners, to dispose of pet litter, stuff wet swimsuits after swimming, or store wet paintbrushes. Better yet: Use a cloth bag for shopping.
- If there’s a choice, purchase recycled-content products. Construction materials, including structural lumber, plastic lumber, and insulation are made from recycled materials.
- Consider donating your old clothing, furniture and electronics to a used goods store, school or charity.
- When you mow, “grasscycle” by leaving grass clippings on your lawn. Grass clippings are 85% - 90% water and nutrients.
