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 ------- |