Make A Difference By Throwing Away Less

We talk a lot about keeping our discarded items out of the waste stream by recycling them, but a better place to start is by throwing less away in the first place. How do we do that?

Here’s a few ideas shared by SAVE members who make a conscious effort to reduce their waste: When you’re buying products, be conscious of their containers. It’s particularly important to avoid plastic packaging. Even with responsible recycling, most plastic can only be recycled twice. Instead of buying hand soap in a plastic pump bottle, buy bar soap. It’s better for the environment, it’s just as effective and it’s cheaper, too. Shampoos can also be purchased in bar form.

A company called Earth Breeze sells laundry detergent in the form of liquid-less sheets. These sheets come in a heavy paper envelope instead of a big plastic jug. Publicgoods.com makes a line of products with minimal packaging.

Bring your own travel mug when you go to your local coffee shop for a takeout coffee. Bring your own container to a restaurant to bring home leftovers.

In the grocery store, buy fruits and vegetables from bulk bins rather than prepackaged in hard plastic containers. If you take one of the store’s plastic bags to carry your produce home, you can reuse these bags to buy more produce the next time you go to the market. Whenever possible, buy milk and juices in glass bottles rather than the plasticized cardboard cartons that can’t be recycled. One SAVE member brings cotton mesh bags to the store for her produce or just puts fruits and vegetables right into her reusable grocery bag.

Try making some basic cleaning products yourself. Goodhousekeeping.com has some simple yet effective recipes for all-purpose cleaners and stain removers using basic household ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, salt, rubbing alcohol and lemons. You will save money and make your home less toxic by cutting back on the purchase of commercial cleaning products – many of which contain hazardous chemicals that can harm small children and pets.

Other helpful websites: Litterless.com and Zerowastestore.com

SAVE, the “Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment,” is a nonprofit organization with the goal to promote a better quality of life in Saugus through environmental action. Incorporated in 1973, SAVE has had an eventful history supporting the preservation of the wildlife, water bodies, open spaces and other natural resources throughout Saugus. Together, SAVE members engage in events and programs throughout town, contributing to a caring and engaged community. Aiming to support the long-term wellbeing of our dynamically and diverse ecosystems, SAVE also seeks to reduce/eliminate pollution and spread awareness about environmental topics. Learn more about SAVE at https://saugussave.wordpress.com.

SAVE will have a regular column every few weeks; we will do our best to answer questions we are often asked. If you have a question for us to answer, please send your question to Co Presidents Ann Devlin at ad*****@*****10.net or Stephanie Shalkoski at st*********@***il.com