Part II - Reduce

According to dictionary.com, "reduce" means to to lower in degree, intensity, etc. Interestingly enough, this is the hardest of the three R's for me. It's easy to recycle and reuse, but to reduce? Some of the best tips I can give is about consuming less. Think about it this way - compete with yourself every week to see how little trash you can throw away. This may mean you reuse or recycle, but let's save those topics for Part III and Part IV.

Reduce your waste using these simple tips....

Reduce paper consumption:

• Did you know you can set your printer default to print double sided? Print double sided whenever possible
• Give clean one sided paper a second chance by using it as scrap paper or printing on it again
• Think before you print- can you send something electronically? print just one page instead of 10?
  
• Go electronic
• Fit more on one page - adjust your margins to use less paper
• Cancel catalogs, junk mail, etc to avoid getting unnecessary paper in the first place

Reduce Food Waste: Compost!

• greens, leaves, plant trimmings, raw fruits and veggies, coffee grounds, tea bags, hair, dryer lint can be composted into "black gold"
• don't forget to add your dried leaves, grasses, straw, woodchips, twigs and branches, etc
  
• You can build your own compost bin or purchase one
• If you want to get started on composting visit this site. It will give you way more information for a successful bin.

Reduce your water consumption:

• Be sure you have a low flow toilet, if you don't add a milk (juice) jug to the tank of your toilet. Upgrading from a 3.5 gpf (gallons per flush) toilet to a 1.6 gpf model will reduce one person’s annual water use from 27,300 gallons to 12,500 gallons, according to the Federal Energy Management Program (greenhomeguide.com)
• Don't dump your half full water glass in the sink. Instead pour it into a nearby watering can to use for your plants.
• Does it take forever for your tap water to heat up? Collect water-that's-warming-up and use it for your gardens, humidifiers, plants, etc.
• Keep your showers short :-)

Reduce your Energy Consumption:

• Shut lights off when not in use
• Consider swapping your dryer for a clothesline
• Invest in Compact Fluorescent light bulbs
• Use a programmable thermostat