Have you seen this image before? It’s called a waste management hierarchy, similar to the food pyramid that we learned about as kids. Ranked from most effective to least effective, when it comes to waste management, you’ll notice that before recycling or even reuse, comes reduction as the most impactful solution.

Before we talk [anymore] about recycling, we need to talk about reduction. The reality is that we can recycle-right all we want but if we don’t reduce the amount of stuff we consume, such as that new shirt, or gadget you’ll only use twice, recycling alone is simply not enough. As we continue to discuss proper recycling habits with you, we also encourage you to:

Breathe before you buy: Take a moment to pause and think about whether or not you really need the item.

Encourage others: Speak to your friends and family about the importance of wasting less.

Buy less, buy better: Save money by purchasing fewer things. If you must, and if you are able to, sometimes spending a bit more on a higher quality item can save you from having to replace a cheaper one sooner.

#RecycleRightNewYork https://recyclerightny.org/