3 r's & green shopping
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Presented by Michael Patton, the Metropolitan Environmental Trust Executive DirectorTRANSCRIPT
By Michael Patton, Executive Director The Metropolitan Environmental Trust, the M.e.t.Tulsa, Oklahoma
3 R’s & Shopping GreenA Guide to Green Shopping
On Average Americans generate 4.5 lbs. of trash per day = 1600 lbs. of trash per year
Total MSW Generation in 2010250 Million Tons (before recycling)
EPA-530-F-11-005 | November 2011| www.epa.gov/wastes
Where does your trash go?
The 3 R’s
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
R E D U C E
Use less stuff. Purchase
exactly what is needed.
Look at packaging.
Buy in bulk.
R E U S E
B.O.B. (Bring Own Bag
Plastic and paper bags
Water Bottles Steel Cans Glass Jars Cereal Boxes
Minimize the bottle!Save your money!
Americans spend about $11,000 per minute on bottled water.
Tap water costs an average of $.002 per gallon while a gallon of bottled water costs from $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon.
R E C Y C L E
Owasso Recycling Center Location: 499 South Main Owasso, OK Phone: 918-272-4991 Hours of Operation:
Tuesday - Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMClosed designated holidays.
WE ACCEPT: Aluminum
AntifreezeBatteries
CardboardCooking oil
GlassNewspaperOffice PaperPhone booksPlastics (#1 & #2)
Motor oilPassenger Tires
R E T H I N K
Before you buy: Do I really need it? Packaging
Bulk Responsible Manufacturer How far did it travel to get
here? Trash or Recycle You vote every time you spend
a dollar
Recycling Reduces Energy Consumption
Making new steel from old scrap offers up to 75% energy savings.
Producing aluminum from scrap instead of bauxite ore cuts energy use by 95%, yet we still through away more than a million tons of aluminum per year.
Paper recycling could save up to 70% of the energy needed to create paper from new timber.
Compost your leaves, grass and food waste instead of sending them to the landfill. Most natural garden wastes can be composted, thus yielding free fertilizer without polluting the air.
Compost Organic Waste
Buy LocalBuy Recycled PackagingBuy Recyclable PackagingBuy Reduced Packaging
Every dollar I spend is a vote for the environment.
People want to be better shoppers.
Package Material Storage Shipping Reuse Disposal
Produce Aisle
Packaging by Mother Nature
COMPOSTABLE
Fair Trade, Country of Origin and
Buy Local when available
Organic food must be produced without the use of sewer-sludge fertilizers, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and irradiation. A variety of agricultural products can be produced organically, including produce, grains, meat, dairy, eggs and processed food products.
What is Organic?
Baskets, Bags and TraysBananas and Banana Bread
Meat & Dairy Aisle
Fresh, Frozen or Canned
Re-sealable Bag
Average Annual ExpenditureMeat, Poultry, Fish & Eggs
15 percent of American’s total food budget is spent on meat, poultry, fish & eggs.
Food Institute analysis based on Bureau of Labor statistics
Use a meal planner to reduce waste!
Paper or cardboard vs. Polystyrene egg cartons
Buying in the deli allows for portion control
Paperboard milk cartons vs. Plastic milk jugs
Natural vs. Dyed containers
Bottle Grade Plastics
94 percent of plastic bottles are #1 or #2vs. plastic tubs.
Cereal Aisle
Cereal Boxes as Art
Box is Pure MarketingThe One Box we Read
Bag inside a Box vs. Bag only
100% Recycled Rising Post-
Consumer Content
Beverage Aisle
Total U.S. Beverage Consumption in 2005
Carbonated Soft Drinks 28.3% Bottled Water 10.7% Milk 10.9% Coffee 9.0% Beer 11.7% Fruit Beverages 4.7% Sports Drinks 2.3% Tea 3.8% Wine 1.2% Distilled Spirits 0.7% All Others 15.3%
Source – American Beverage Association
53 million plastic bottles are thrown in the trash every day.
In Tulsa, the average household buys 225 bottles of water per year. Of those, 16 are recycled.
Snack Aisle
Chips vs. CrackersGive Piece a Chance
Paper Product Aisle
Virgin vs. Post Consumer
Grades of Paper Recycle-phobia Quality of Products
Cleaning/Household Products
Beware of words like ‘toxic’, ‘hazardous’, and ‘caution’ on label
Find safer alternatives
Buy Concentrated?
Natural Drain Cleaner 1/2 cup baking soda 1/2 cup white vinegar Boiling water Pour baking soda down the
drain. Add white vinegar Cover the drain, if possible.
Let set for 5 minutes. Then pour a kettle of boiling
water down the drain.
At the Checkout
Paper vs. Plastic
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is the right order.
People who recycle create jobs.
It is not just the product; it is also the
package.
Save the planet.
Recap
The Metropolitan Environmental TrustMichael Patton, Executive Director
[email protected]/theMETrecycle