Put Stuff Reduction on the Agenda for 2006!

Even if you are not thinking about reducing your waistline in 2006 – why not consider reducing your ‘waste’ line.

We are all familiar with the three “R”’s of environmentally responsible action – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

Reduce is the easiest to understand, but often the hardest one to accomplish. In our oversupplied society, retail complexes at every major intersection tempt us with their siren call. Reducing landfill burden is not the only environmental savings we reap when we fill fewer trash bags. Everything we buy, from a new car to our daily bread is created and shipped to us through the well-oiled machinery of industry. Resources are used, and energy is consumed at every step. Greenhouse gases and other pollutants trail in the wake of that ‘must-have’ Bestseller thriller and that over-packaged microwave dinner. More greenhouse gases bubble up from landfills full of stuff we didn’t really need in the first place. It’s harder to reduce in the usual ways. Where are those thin-walled collapsible packages of dish soap that we were all supposed to (but obviously didn’t) buy? Why do supermarket bulk bins offer mostly candy and nuts? Buying repairable long-lasting small appliances and electronics is a thing of the past. Overwhelming? Tackle the mountain of stuff by considering just paper and cardboard, which accounts for about a third of Calgary’s residential waste stream. Even though paper can be recycled, recycling only delays what was once a tree to an ultimate landfill grave.

Easy changes you can make include:

• Canceling magazine subscriptions and borrowing them at our excellent public library.

• Switching to an on-line newspaper.

• Weaning your family’s dependence on paper towels for everyday spills and wipes.

• Using paper as if it was as precious as the tree it used to be. Treat the ‘print’ button on your computer as if it was to be used only in emergencies.

• Casting the evil eye on disposable paper cups and plates. Keep your travel mug at hand.

Don’t stop there. It may seem heretical in a society where our collective default pastime is shopping, but what about just buying less stuff? Re-think every purchase you make – not just in terms of packaging. Most of us buy more than we need. We buy magazines we won’t read and over-packaged gadgets we don’t even have room for in our cluttered homes.

Make 2006 the year to reduce your waste-line by getting less stuff!

Visit our EcoStore at 809 4th Avenue, SW for more ideas or check out our products on-line at www.cleancalgary.org