Precycling is the action of cutting down on waste by thinking ahead to avoid buying items which produce waste. Sounds simple, right? So how do you precycle?
No Plastic or Paper
The retail cloth bags that have sprung up all over are evidence that people are choosing more and more to opt out of paper or plastic at the grocery store. By not using the store bags, you are eliminating waste by choosing not to use it. That is precycling.
No Disposable Dinnerware
Another way to precycle is to not use disposable plastic forks, knives, and spoons. Instead of paper plates and paper napkins, consider using plates you can wash and cloth napkins that get washed and reused.
Consider Packaging
Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter reportedly brought yogurt for lunch everyday. What made him a little unusual is that he bought the yogurt in a large container and put a small portion into a Tupperware container to bring to work. David Souter was practicing precycling. By not using the smaller and disposable (or recyclable) yogurt containers, Souter was precycling. You can further avoid excessive packaging by not buying those convenient snack packs that are available, it seems, for almost anything.
Reduce Junk Mail
You can reduce the amount of junk mail or unwanted mail by registering with the Direct Marketing Association online. The DMA calls it List Suppression Services. Consider unsubscribing to paper versions of your favorite magazine and getting the digital version. Consider unsubscribing to mail order catalogs that you know you will never utilize.
Batteries
Consider how you can cut down on battery use by using rechargeable batteries, or by not buying toys that require batteries, or consider buying rechargeable batteries.
Water Bottles
Instead of buying water in individual bottles, consider using a stainless steel water bottle that you refill from a Brita water pitcher in your refrigerator. That is cold and filtered water without the wasted plastic or plastic that needs to be recycled. You could also consider buying larger water containers that sit in your refrigerator rather than individual bottles.
Aluminum Better Than Glass
It takes less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to recycle glass. Consider purchasing beverages in aluminum cans rather than glass in an effort to precycle. I live in a community that doesn't have the resources to recycle glass so I started buying beer in aluminum cans. When my aluminum carbonated water cans started piling up, I decided to only drink tap water that has gone through a Brita water pitcher. Less really is more!
So what else can you do to use less energy and to lead a greener life? Read more at the Green Guide.
Mary Rayme - Mary Rayme is a graphic designer and arts educator with a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.
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