Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

We hear about them all the time, but that's because the three R's—reduce, reuse, recycle—really can help you live greener. Here are a few ways to trade the trash can for eco-friendly solutions.

Green Paper Tips

Every day we use paper—to communicate, to create, to clean. Paper use has a direct connection with climate change because paper comes from trees, and most paper in the United States today comes directly from wood, rather than recycled sources. Every tree that goes into paper is one less tree capturing carbon and providing habitat for wildlife.

Reduce Unwanted Catalogs: The National Wildlife Federation, Ecology Center, and the Natural Resources Defense Council launched a free online service called Catalog Choice that helps consumers take control of mailbox clutter, simplify their lives, and protect the environment from unnecessary waste.

Salvaging and Reusing Wood

Wood is the largest percentage of the residential new construction debris—approximately 42 percent, according the National Association of Home Builders Research Center.

This seems particularly wasteful when wood is such a versatile material. Unlike plastic, which once formed is quite inflexible in how it may be reused, wood has incredible potential for re-use. It can be sanded, stripped, cut and re-built to make furniture, toys, and items for your Certified Wildlife Habitat® site. It has never-ending potential with the use of paints, varnishes, and caulks.

Tips for salvaging wood:

• Estate and yard sales are a great source for furniture that can be reused if the paint could be stripped off or a new coat of paint was added.
• Keep a bucket of wood scraps in a dry place in your home where it won't attract insects. When you want to tackle a wood project, try to use that wood first before buying new.
• Sturdy toys made from wood often last longer than those made from plastic, so you might consider giving wooden toys made by local artisans. These toys are less likely to end up in the dump and are often made from wood waste leftover from furniture production. Also, since they are made locally, they reduce pollution from transportation.
• Make toys instead of buying them. Even if you do not consider yourself to be handy, there are many library books that take you through step-by-step projects, such as those featured here.