1. Buy bread that comes wrapped in paper or buy it over the counter reusing one, specific bag.
2. If your area recycles cardboard or paper, I suggest buying your milk/juice in cardboard containers rather than plastic. Otherwise, buy the recyclable plastic kind. The objective here is to use as little as possible.
3. Ice cream and popsicles are usually still safe because they are readily available in cardboard or paper. However, keep paper and cardboard products to a minimum, even if your area recycles them. They're biodegradable, but it takes a very long time.
4. Buy canned/tinned products over frozen. Most frozen produce, like vegies and fruits, is packaged in a plastic bag. In most areas, cans and tins are recyclable. Not only that, but they're more affordable too. And, yes, lots of meat comes in cans.
5. Buy produce by the pound, versus in bags, reusing a specific bag every time you make a purchase. Instead of buying a bag of potatoes or apples, buy them by the pound using the bags over and over.
6. Don't buy products that only come wrapped in plastic. In most cases, this includes leafy vegies, like lettuce, cabbage, etc.
7. If you buy fruits, like strawberries, that come in plastic containers, inspect the different brands, checking to see if any are recyclable. If I can't find one that isn't, I don't buy it!
8. Reuse your grocery bags every time you check out. This not only goes for just the grocery store, but any other store as well. You can keep the bags in your car, just in case you don't know when you'll need them.
9. Don't use bags for produce if they don't need them; like bananas or melons.
10. Don't buy plastic wrap or lunch bags. Use containers by RubberMaid or Tupperware, or even old containers from butter or whipped cream. If all else fails, use aluminum foil, which is recyclable in most areas that recycle aluminum cans.
11. Don't buy disposable items like paper, plastic, or foam cups, bowls, or plates. Not even utensils.
12. Don't buy disposable razors. Electric razors don't require shaving cream, in most cases, and are less harsh on your skin. You may even want to try a chemical hair remover, if the container ir recyclable.
13. In a lot of cases, shaving cream does not come in recyclable containers. There are some liquid-foamy kinds, located more along the feminine side, but can work equally well for men. Mousse and other foams also come in these type of containers, so find some other product to use in your hair!
14. Buy recyclable hygeine products( i.e. deoderant, shampoo, soap, etc.). Feminine products(i.e. pade & tampons) can be found in boxes and without plastic wrap on them. Unfortunately, I've yet to discover makeup in recyclable containers.
15. If your area doesn't recycle certain products, try to locate local stores that do. I've been to a lot of health food stores and all of them have some kind of recycling program. Look for drinkbox recycling.
16. A big step you can take is buying or making an electric car. It isn't as hard as you might think, and doesn't need as much maintainance as a regular car. Call around to local car dealers and see if they sell electric cars. You'll be surprised.
17. Go solar! This might take awhile and will cost some money, but in the long run it's more affordable than anything else.
There are many other ways to get non-recyclables out of your life, one of which is growing your own produce, and I'll have a place here for that soon. Just use your brain when coming up with new methods, and be sure to let me know!
