Here are five easy tips:
1. Do a home garbage audit. Where can you make the greatest improvement in reducing waste? Just look in your garbage can for the answer. Do a garbage audit of your home to find out the biggest culprits: plastics, styrofoam, tins, paper, or food scraps. Then ask yourself what you can do to eliminate these items from your waste.
2. Don't buy garbage Make sure you're not filling garbage bags when you go shopping:
avoid non-recyclable plastics (in Toronto, for example, only types 1 and 2 are accepted in the blue box)
- buy reusable and refillable containers
- buy in bulk instead of single servings
- buy durable products
- don't buy things you don't really need
- take your own shopping bags ( it's very helpful. I can reduce a lots of plastic bags with my own textile bag)
- avoid toxic and hazardous products
3. Leave no trace. Whether you're going to Caribana, the Santa Claus Parade, or just heading across town, plan your trips to be garbage-free and pack out all your trash. Living in the city should be no different than if you were camping in the wilderness -- keep the environment clean.
4. Compost. If you don't have a compost bin (or worm bin), find a friend who does and ask them if you can bring your organic waste to them.
5. Sort out the recyclables and hazardous waste. Rinse out all food containers and store them with your other recyclables until after the strike. Be sure to set aside any hazardous waste (including batteries, oils and pesticides).
From http://www.greenontario.org
