by Ann Marie Dwyer

Created on: March 02, 2007   Last Updated: November 01, 2008

Top 10 Ways Our Family Controls Pollution

1. Plan ahead.Make one trip to town cover all errands. Shop only once a week. Stop at the post office, bank, recycling facility and specialty shops on the way to the grocery. (REDUCE)

2. Carpool with at least three people in the car. Saves gas and wear on the vehicles. (REDUCE)

3. Buy product with least packaging. Buy cereal in plastic bags, soda in 2-3 liter bottles, refills for fabric softener/cleaners, bulk packaging rather than individual. Buy products in recycled/recyclable packaging. (REDUCE/RECYCLE)

4. Recycle everything possible: plastic, newspaper, magazines, glass, cardboard, aluminum, paper board. There will be more recycling than refuse. (RECYCLE)

5. Make compost. Rake leaves and grass clippings and add vegetable scraps to create compost. Saves the plastic bag and burns a few calories. (REUSE)

6. Adjust thermostat and hot water heater. Turn down hot water heater to save on electricity and water. Open windows in spring and fall. Wear shorts in the summer and sweaters in the winter so thermostat can be set a few degrees higher/lower. (REDUCE)

7. Dry erase board for notes. No sticky notes, memo pads, copy paper to leave notes to remind family members of appointments and activities. (REDUCE)

8. Get and pay bills on line. The reduces the amount of mail to be carried (gas) and printed (paper/electricity). (REDUCE)

9. Never throw away shopping bags. Use as packing material (REDUCE) instead of bubble wrap. Use to separate plastic recyclables & recycle the bag at the same time. (RECYCLE) There are many other uses, see "Paper or Plastic" for more ideas. (REUSE)

10. Turn it off when not in use. This applies to everything: lights, water (while you brush your teeth), television, dryer (line dry whenever possible), radio, battery operated appliances (rechargeable batteries), oven (toaster oven when possible). (REDUCE)

There are more, but these are our top ten.

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