Official website of the
City of Vancouver, Washington

Recycling Refresher

REDUCE what you buy and REUSE what you have

It may be unfair to put everyone in the same basket, but Americans as a whole are huge consumers. Some say that with our consumption comes industry and prosperity. However, if everyone on earth consumed food and material goods at the same rate as Americans, we would need four earths worth of natural resources to sustain that consumption.

You can personally reduce your dependence on limited natural resources such as oil, clean water and minerals, by considering the hierarchy of Reduce ~ Reuse ~ Recycle. Reducing what you buy and reusing what you have will ultimately save more natural resources, create less pollution and consume less energy than recycling alone. Here are some tips for reducing and reusing.

REDUCE
Buy in bulk~ Reduce the packaging you throw away or recycle.

Buy less stuff ~ If you can buy less stuff you will benefit enjoying a cleaner environment and reducing your expenses.

REUSE
Durable goods ~ Use durable cups, dishes, silverware and cloth napkins rather than disposable paper and plastic goods.

Household items ~ Check secondhand and consignment stores for items you need like furniture or kitchen appliances.

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