United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA/530-SW-90-034A
August 1990
Solid Waste And Emergency Response (OS-305)
SEPA Be An
Environmentally
Alert Consumer
The Cat's Out of the Bag!
It's Simple to Reduce
Your Waste
3 Printed on Recycled Paper
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Like the old tale that says cats have nine
lives, so do many of the items we buy and
use everyday. Although we don't often
think about it, many of the products and
packages that we purchase have more than
one function. The container that began its
life as a peanut butter jar can be washed and
reused, perhaps to mix a batch of concentrated juice or to
store a prized marble collection. Certain household staples,
like lemon juice and baking soda, are excellent nontoxic
cleaners that have applications beyond the kitchen. And re-
member, buying durable and fixable products will help ex-
tend the lives of many of purchases, from clothing to lug-
gage to appliances.
The Solid Waste Dilemma
It's no secret that many areas of the country are facing a
solid waste crisis because there's too much trash and not
enough places to put it all. At the same time, many communi-
ties are finding creative solutions to their waste problems.
Across the country, officials are implementing "integrated
waste management systems," a complementary mix of solu-
tions (source reduction, recycling, combustion, and landfill-
ing) to handle their community's trash.
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A Baker's Dozen Tips for the
Environmentally Aware Consumer
1. Buy reusable products and avoid disposables.
2. Buy, maintain, and repair durable and fixable
products.
3. Reuse bags, containers, paper, boxes, and other
items.
4. Select products with the most purposeful, least
wasteful packaging.
5. Buy concentrates, larger sized containers, or
products in bulk.
6. Buy products that can be recycled and make
sure to recycle them.
1. Buy products made of recycled materials.
8. Buy nonhazardous products for use around the
house.
9. Compost food and yard wastes.
10. Borrow or rent things you use infrequently.
11. Buy, sell, or donate used and secondary goods
such as clothes, furniture, and appliances.
1 2. Make your preferences known to merchants
and politicians.
13. Be creative — look for opportunities to practice
source reduction!
For More Information...
If you would like more information on how
you can alleviate the garbage glut, send for
the free booklet The Environmental
Consumer's Handbook from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. Call the
RCRA/Superfund Hotline at (800) 424-9346
from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST, and ask for
publication number EPA/530-SW-90-34B. In
Washington, D.C., the number is (202)
382-3000 or TDD 475-9652; for the hearing
impaired, call TDD (800) 553-7673.
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• Merchants can stock and conspicuously mark products on
the shelf that are truly environmentally friendly. Consumers '
can respond by purchasing those products and by expressing
their preferences for them.
• Schools can teach about source reduction and recycling.
The easiest, most direct way for citizens to make a differ-
ence is to watch what they buy and throw away. We can alle-
viate our individual "garbage gluts" by following these basic
principles:
REDUCE the amount of trash you discard;
REUSE containers and products;
RECYCLE as much as possible;
RESPOND to the solid waste dilemma by reassessing your
waste-producing activities and by expressing your prefer-
ences for less waste.
RECYCLE RESPOND
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»urce Reduction
Source reduction is any practice that reduces the amount
or toxicity of a waste, and includes making goods last longer,
reusing products, and reducing packaging. It is a preferred
waste management option since it actually prevents the gener-
ation of waste in the first place. In addition, the practice
doesn't result in simply moving waste from one place to an-
other. Source reduction also saves natural resources (such as
trees and oil) that must be used to manufacture new products,
and prevents the air or water pollution often associated with
manufacturing. Source reduction can be as simple as reaching
for a sponge instead of a paper towel, or as complex as re-
designing a product so that less packaging is needed.
Everyone Has a Role
We all need to evaluate our daily waste-producing activi-
ties to determine which ones are essential (such as buying
medicines and foods wrapped in packaging for our safety and
health), and which are not (such as throwing away glass jars
that could be reused or recycled).
• Governments can create incentives to encourage all sectors
of society to create less waste.
• Manufacturers can design products that are less toxic, that
require less packaging, that are recyclable, and that result in
less waste at the end of their useful lives.
REDUCE REUSE
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Safer Substitutes for Household Hazards
Post this list in a convenient place as an easy reference gi
Hazardous Product Safer Substitute
All purpose cleaner In 1 quart warm or hot water, mix 1 tea-
spoon liquid soap, boric acid (borax),
lemon juice, and/or vinegar. Make
stronger according to the job to be done.
Glass cleaner
Drain cleaner
Oven cleaner
Toilet bowl cleaner
Furniture polish
Rug deodorizer
and shampoo
Mix 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
in 1 quart water. Spray on and use news-
paper to wipe dry.
Pour boiling water down drain once a
week. Use a plunger or snake.
Clean spills as soon as the oven cools
using steel wool and baking soda; for
tough stains, add salt (do not use this
method in self-cleaning or continuous-
clean ovens).
Use a toilet brush and baking soda or
vinegar.
Wipe with mixture of 1 teaspoon lemon
oil in 1 pint mineral or vegetable oil.
Deodorize dry carpets by sprinkling lib-
erally with baking soda. Wait at least 15
minutes and vacuum. Repeat if neces-
sary. To clean rugs, vacuum first to re-
move dirt. Mix 1 quart white vinegar
and 3 quarts boiling water. Apply to nap
of rug with wet rag being careful not to
saturate rug backing. Dry thoroughly.
Then vacuum.
Plant sprays Wipe leaves with mild soap and water;
rinse.
Roach and ant Sprinkle powdered boric acid in cabinet
repellent edges, around baseboards, and in cracks.
Mothballs Use cedar chips, lavender flowers, rose-
mary, mint, or white peppercorns.
Flea and tick Mix brewer's yeast or garlic in your
removers pet's food; sprinkle fennel, rue, rose-
mary, or eucalyptus seeds or leaves
i around animal sleeping areas.
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