Randy Tuchtenhagen

Put waste at the top of your shopping list this year.

Monday, December 17, 2001

Put waste at the top of your shopping list this year. Most of us don’t go to the store with the thought of purchasing garbage, but depending on your shopping choices, that is what you might do!

Every person in Minnesota generates about six pounds of garbage each day. About half of our garbage comes from the packaging of the products we buy. Whether you are in the grocery store, or a department store, note all the extra packaging you pay for and throw away. By taking extra time to consider alternatives before you buy, you can save money and reduce trash. By preventing waste before it is created, you save money in the cost of garbage service at home. Specific examples that easily come to mind on my list would be bacon. You can buy packages with or without the wax coated paperboard, or butter with or without the waxy box. Both items are not recyclable because of their coatings. Another common choice is clothing. There are some items that come on a hanger and the store keeps them at the register to be reused, or we can purchase clothing that comes with cardboard around the collar in a plastic bag and stuffed with tissue paper.

There are many other ways to reduce waste. Something we will all be thinking about during the holidays of company and gifts that fill our trash bins. Shoppers use nearly 40 billion (yes billion) bags each year. Most of them are used only once and often just thrown away. Avoid the bag choice all together and buy or make your own cloth bags that can be used over and over. If you put a couple of them in each of your vehicles, you will always have them with you, even when you stop at the store on your way home from work to pick up a few items. Also, let the clerks know that it is unnecessary to double bag or bag separately those small items.

Another waste reduction tip is to purchase items in bulk. Detergents, dog food, pasta, cereal, paper products, catsup, aluminum foil, shrink wrap, and the list goes on and on. By watching the price on bulk items that do not have a short shelf life, you can significantly reduce waste. Again, make sure your purchases have packaging that can be recycled when the product is all gone.

Another hint is to look for packaging that is made from recycled content. We often find paper products and boxes containing the labels &uot;recycled content&uot; and often will even list the percent recycled.

The &uot;Recycling Instruction Sheets&uot; that explain our curbside recycling program have a list of materials we accept. From experience I can give you a short list of the things we have found that are not acceptable. The other day I found a plastic swimming pool, toaster, five gallon pails, flower pots with dirt still in them and fence wire in a recycling bin. Someone has to remove this garbage and pay the cost of disposal. Fortunately, most people do an outstanding job of recycling and contamination has been limited to a few spots. Check the &uot;Recycling Instruction Sheet&uot; for specific information on what is acceptable and what is not. These sheets are available in banks and posts offices throughout the county and at the courthouse if you are able to stop by our office. We will mail one to you if requested.

With the holiday season here, remember! Check your &uot;Recycling Instruction Sheet.&uot; We will recycle your gift wrapping paper, greeting cards, junk mail, gift boxes and many other items. Put all the paper together in a paper sack or tie in a bundle for recycling. Freeborn County has an excellent recycling program thanks to all our residents. Let’s keep up the good work.

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Randy Tuchtenhagen is Freeborn County’s solid waste officer