Did you know that the average American produces 4-5 pounds of trash per day? That’s roughly 1,500 pounds per year. We should all work towards reducing our waste generation – by buying less, avoiding single use materials, taking action to reduce food waste, and sharing or upcycling within our community networks.

For the things that we own, we should consider re-use, repair, and donation whenever possible. If we have something that is past its useful life, we should consider recycling or compost before sending it to the landfill.

Ten Ways to Unpackage Your Life¹

Bring Your Own Bag

Say no to single use paper and plastic bags and bring your own high quality reusable bag. Whether you’re picking up groceries, getting takeout food or clothes shopping, use your own bag. Each reusable bag can eliminate hundreds (if not thousands) of single-use plastic or paper bags!

Carry a Reusable Water Bottle

Carrying your own bottle cuts waste and can save you money.

Pack a Waste-Free Lunch

Do away with throw-away lunch packaging. Each child who brings a brown bag lunch to school every day generates 67 pounds of waste each year.

Bring Your Own Cup

The average American once used 500 paper cups a year. Replacing your single-use paper, plastic or Styrofoam cups with a reusable cup or mug can have a huge impact. Try keeping a cup in your bag, at the office, or in your car so you always have one around. Most coffee shops offer a discount for bringing your own cup!

Slow Down and Dine In

A big reason we have a food packaging problem to begin with is because people want to eat on the go – whether it's a drive-through or grab-n-go. Take a breath, slow down and dine in. Get your coffee “for here” or enjoy a home-cooked meal with friends and family and say goodbye to single-use packaging.

Consider Reusable Straws

Plastic straws are consistently one of the most littered plastic items, which means they end up in our waterways and are harmful to fish and wildlife. If you need a straw, consider using a reusable straw.

Avoid Heavily Packaged Foods

Heavily packaged foods are bad for the environment and they’re usually unhealthy for you too. Buy foods that aren’t heavily packaged, like fresh produce and bulk items.

Bring Your Own Container and Utensils

Need to grab lunch on the go? Bring your own container and utensils to cut down on “the other leftovers” from your takeout meal. You can also bring your own container for leftovers when you eat at a restaurant - no more single-use "doggie bags"!

Use No Bag or a Fabric Bag to Carry Produce and Other Grocery Items

You’ve worked so hard to bring reusable bags to the store, why fill them up with plastic produce bags? Bring your own fabric bags for produce and bulk items. Many companies make reusable produce bags from hemp, organic cotton and even recycled plastic.

Communicate

Let your friends and family know what you’re doing and help them get involved. Write letters to companies that over-package and tell them you’re concerned about this issue. You’ll be surprised how powerful leading by example can be!

• EPA Reducing and Reusing Basics
• Donation Sites within Oakland County:
• Buy Nothing Groups
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore
• Furniture Bank of Southeast Michigan
• Oakland County Children’s Village
• Salvation Army – multiple locations throughout Oakland County
• Goodwill
• Hazardous Waste
• SOCRRA hazardous waste info

Organic Waste

Organic waste such as food scraps, lawn clippings, and other yard waste are a powerful resource. Americans waste 40% of the food we produce, if the greenhouse gases created by our wasted food were spread uniformly over the surface of Lake Erie, it would form a layer 10 feet deep.

Did you know that 24% of waste sitting in our landfills is food? When organic waste goes to the landfill, it decomposes in an air-tight environment with no oxygen – called anerobic decomposition. A byproduct of anerobic decomposition is methane gas, which is a greenhouse gas 4 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

When organic waste is composted, it decomposes in an oxygen-rich environment, called aerobic decomposition. Aerobic decomposition process doesn’t create greenhouse gases, and it has a very valuable byproduct—compost. Compost is used for farming and gardening, and it improves soil’s ability to absorb water.

• Composting in your backyard
• Wixom food waste pilot
• Southfield 2030 Project
• Reducing food waste first - Make Food Not Waste²

¹Ten Ways to Unpackage Your Life | US EPA

²The 2030 Project - Make Food Not Waste