By Susan Wineland
Orange Recycling Committee
We’re all familiar with the 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. We’re also aware of environmental concerns and sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the plastic and other types of waste. Fortunately, there are some simple and economical changes we can make in our everyday lives that will have a big impact.
One change we can make is to reuse what you have on hand to replace non-recyclables. For instance, we can break our dependence on paper towels, which are usually not recyclable due to their short fibers and potential contamination from food, grease or cleaning chemicals. Paper towels end up in landfills, where they generate methane gas while decomposing. The paper production process consumes vast quantities of water. The towels also contribute significantly to deforestation by requiring a large amount of wood pulp which leads to tree felling and habitat destruction.
Using any type of reusable absorbent cloths like those old t-shirts, old bath towels and face towels, unmatched socks or those with holes, dishcloths, microfiber cloth or shop towels for cleaning tasks can significantly reduce paper towel usage. Keep a supply of these cloth rags in a convenient place and, after using them, hang them to dry if they are just wet, and rinse out or wash them as needed. In public restrooms, using hand air dryers instead of paper towels can minimize waste.
Opting for paper towels made from bamboo, a fast-growing plant, can be a more sustainable alternative.
Use dish towels to keep lettuce and other greens fresh. Just fold them up and place the towel on top of greens in their clamshell or in a glass container. If you are in the market for new dish towels, consider flax linen or cotton ones.
Plastic bags are contaminating every known landfill, ocean, river and land. The good news is that they’re also one of the easiest items to replace. Keeping reusable shopping bags in our cars along with different sized cotton produce bags can help reduce plastic bag usage. The produce bags also can be used to store greens and in the refrigerator.
Remember to swap your plastic water bottles for one of the most classic sustainable products: the reusable water bottle made of aluminum or glass that comes in all sizes and with or without straws.
Plastic straws are an important plastic to replace because, due to their size, they often escape traditional waste management and end up in the ocean. A great alternative is metal or glass reusable straws which come in all shapes and sizes, are dishwasher safe and can be used over and over again.
Plastic storage such as takeout containers contribute to plastic pollution and are bad for our bodies. When hot food is placed in plastic food containers, the chemicals and compounds from those containers can leach into the food. Some of these chemicals have been linked to numerous health challenges.
Solution: swap your plastic food containers for glass or stainless steel food storage containers. Both of these alternatives are durable, dishwasher safe and don’t leach chemicals into your food and beverages. Silicone stasher bags and the like are also an excellent swap for plastic sandwich bags or traditional plastic Tupperware. Instead of plastic wrap, use a beeswax wrap, a reusable and compostable option that can be molded to fit different shapes. Just handwash the wrap in cold water with dish soap to easily prepare it for reuse.
We’re fortunate to live in a time when there are an increasing number of alternative products to choose from and different ways to reuse what we already have to avoid waste and contamination of our environment.
Susan Wineland is a member of the Orange Recycling Committee.