he Nation's packaging wastes have increased
steadily in recent years—and they're expected to con-
tinue to increase. One reason is that the population
has increased. Another reason is that each American
has been using more packaging materials than ever
before. Cheese, for example, is now rarely cut to order
from a big wheel. Instead, it comes in convenient,
sanitary packages, some even with each slice wrapped
separately. In drug, hardware, and variety stores, our
system of self-service merchandising depends on the
package, not the sales clerk, to sell the product. Pack-
aging helps us as consumers, even though it also con-
tributes to our solid waste problems.
By changing buying habits, consumers can slow, or
even stop, unnecessary increases in the amounts of
packaging, materials used in the United States. You will
be helping to solve the Nation's solid waste problems
and to conserve our limited natural resources. Some
things you can do:
Put as little as
possible into the
garbage can
At present, almost nothing
is salvaged or reused once
it gets into the can. It is
so expensive to collect and
separate wastes that the sal-
vaged materials can't com-
pete with virgin materials.
Millions of tons of materials
are salvaged in the United
States, but they generally
have been collected, not from garbage cans but from
industrial plants and businesses, where large quantities
of relatively pure waste materials accumulate. A good
example is in the case of the corrugated cardboard box,
the only packaging now salvaged in sizeable quantity.
The boxes can be collected profitably from retail stores
because large numbers accumulate in one place, they
are clean, and they are easily separated and salvaged
for reuse.
Don't buy more
packaging material
than you. need
It costs you money, and it makes
more solid wastes. Potato chips
are cheaper when packaged in ,a
bag—don't pay for an additional
box or can, unless you need the
extra protection they provide.
Check unit prices for the best
buy. For example, cheese spread
is packaged in a variety of ways.
If it's in an aerosol can, you're getting mostly can.
You're paying for convenience. Be sure it's worth the
price to you. And be sure to recognize that, if your
choice means more solid wastes, you should be willing
to pay the price of proper disposal. Think solid wastes
before you buy!
Find new uses
for old packaging
materials
Such discoveries are creative and fun. You'll also be
saving money. For example, glass jars and plastic con-
tainers can be used to store food or other household
materials. Gift wrap and ribbon
can often be ironed and used a
second time. ^$3-^0
You can pick up useful ideasX
from newspaper columnists who
specialize in practical household
hints and consumer matters.
Discard your
packaging wastes
properly
More than two-thirds of litter consists of
packaging materials, so if you dispose of
your packaging wastes in the right places,
you've done a lot to solve the litter problem. Did you
know that it costs an average of 25 cents to pick up
and dispose of each item of roadside litier? That money
is coming out of your tax dollars.
Compact your
packaging wastes
before you
put them
into the
garbage can
You can fill milk cartons with
other wastes and stack cans inside
each other. Better still, flatten
everything you can.
Support recycling
programs in your
community
They're a step in the right direction, and they make
you think more about the environmental and conserva-
tion side effects of what you do. Check your newspaper
to find out what materials are being recycled and where
the materials are being accepted. But
^^^ remember, in these voluntary pro-
grams, you are collecting and sep-
arating the wastes. Your support
and labor enables the programs
t° continue.
You can start today to help solve
the Nation's solid waste problems. Fol-
low these suggestions yourself, and post
them so others can, too. Realize, however, that managing
your solid wastes well at home is not enough to solve
the Nation's total problem. Another important contribu-
tion you can make is as a citizen and a taxpayer: Find
out how your community disposes of your solid wastes.
If your community's solid waste system does not yet
meet accepted standards, actively support whatever
measures are needed to enable it to operate a modern,
efficient system of solid waste management that pro-
tects, rather than damages, the environment.
For more information write to:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
ua 64i>r
SW-313
Printed on recycled paper
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