Greentips to Cut Waste

Plant a mini garden.
You don’t need to live on a farm to grow your own food. Even apartment dwellers can grow fruits or vegetables in a small container such as a pot, barrel, window box or hanging basket. A great place to start is by growing herbs such as parsley or chives. The optimal time for local gardening is spring or fall.

Be a Green Business Partner.
The Green Business Partnership program is open to all businesses in Pinellas County. Your business can save money by implementing the program’s measures to cut waste, save water and reduce energy use. Free site assessments and product rebates are available.

Take empties home.
What happens if you are out at a family picnic, the movies or a ballgame, and there is no recycling container available? Instead of tossing your empty cans or bottles in the trash, carry them home to recycle. This is a great way to demonstrate to your children that recycling is important, no matter where you are.

Stretch your back-to-school dollars.
Before shopping for back-to-school items, take inventory of items already on hand. Reuse items such as last year’s book bag or lunch box. Give items a new look with fabric paint, iron-on patches or permanent markers. If you need new supplies, wait for the first day to get a detailed supply list from your child’s teacher.

Banish bag waste.
It’s easy to accumulate a pile of plastic bags, even if you carry reusable bags when shopping. Reuse empty plastic bags if possible, e.g., trash can liners or pet pickup. You can recycle plastic grocery bags at local grocery stores, as well as plastic newspaper sleeves, dry cleaning bags and plastic wrapping from non-food items such as paper towels.
 Get-rid-of-it

Keep your batteries energized.
A few tips to prolong the life of rechargeable batteries: Follow the product guidelines for charging a new electronic item prior to its first use to maximize the battery’s capacity, don’t leave a battery on the charger when not charging, and remove batteries from a device that will not be used for several months.

Schedule a Haz-to-Go event.
The Haz-to-Go trailer is available to community groups for the collection of hazardous electronics and chemicals. Groups such as homeowners or condo associations can book the trailer for a free “Clean-up Day” event in their community. The trailer is available on weekdays for a three-hour period.

Look for eco-labels.
When shopping, scan product labels for third-party certifications such as Green Seal, Design for the Environment or EcoLogo. Also look for environmentally friendly terms such as non-toxic, biodegradable or recycled content. In addition, you can research a product’s manufacturer to learn about their environmental practices.

Reuse glass jars.
Empty glass jars—such as jam, mustard or baby food jars—work well for storing small items such as buttons, beads, screws, marbles, stickers, or rubber bands. Jars may also be reused for mixing sauces or salad dressing. Simply add the ingredients, tighten the lid, and shake. You will save dirtying a bowl, and the jar is a perfect storage container.

Reuse bottle caps to seal plastic bags.
Cut off the top of an empty plastic bottle about an inch below the cap. Keep the bottle neck and cap; recycle the rest of the bottle. Remove the cap, and insert the top of a plastic bag through the bottle neck. Fold the top of the bag down over the neck, and screw the cap on. The cap seals the bag so it is airtight.

Grass-cycle when you mow.
Leave the grass clippings on the lawn instead of bagging. Grass-cycling saves time, cuts waste and encourages a healthier lawn by returning nutrients to the soil. To avoid clumping, mow the lawn when it’s dry. Cut no more than 1/3 of the grass height to keep clippings small. The clippings will quickly decompose and disappear from view.

Share with co-workers.
Donating unwanted items to charity is great, but so is donating to your friends at work. Designate an area in the office, such as a table in the break room or an empty bookcase in a copy room, for employees to place items they no longer need. Unwanted items such as books, DVDs, magazines, garden produce, etc., may be placed there for the taking.

Recycle: Even in the bathroom.
Make recycling convenient by setting up a small recycling bin in the bathroom for items such as empty toilet paper rolls, tissue boxes, cosmetic boxes or shampoo bottles. Before recycling, get more use from your products by storing almost-empty bottles (such as shampoo or lotion) upside down.

Take them to the cleaners.
If you can’t reuse wire hangers in your own closet, donate them to your favorite dry cleaner. Most dry cleaning establishments are grateful to get wire hangers which can be quickly cleaned and reused for future customers. Also, recycle plastic dry cleaner bags at your local grocery store.

Postpone oil changes.
Regular maintenance is important, but most cars can go more than 3,000 miles before changing the oil due to new engine technology and oil chemistry. Many automakers are recommending oil changes at 5,000 miles or more based on driving conditions. Your best bet is to follow your owner’s manual specifications. Remember to recycle used oil.

Say “no” to receipts.
Save some trees—and remove clutter from your life—by refusing automated receipts when given a choice. Instead of piling up slips of paper in your wallet from visits to the ATM or gas station, you can view your transactions online or on monthly printed statements.

Salvage file folders. When cleaning out old files, set aside the file folders for reuse instead of throwing them away. You can easily reuse folders by sticking on a new file folder label. Before applying the label, apply a piece of clear tape on the tab so the label will peel off easily for future reuse. Another reuse option is turning a used folder inside out.