REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE


Nearly everything we do creates some type of waste. And today, Americans are throwing away more than ever before. Between 1960 and 2008, the amount of waste the average American creates has almost doubled from 2.7 to 4.5 pounds per day. Colorado residents throw away much more than the average—typically 6.1 pounds a day according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Everything we throw away ends up somewhere, creating serious consequences. Landfills take up valuable space, contribute to ground water pollution, and release large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas, among other pollutants. Waste reduction through reducing, reusing and recycling can help mediate your household waste and cut your contributions to landfills. Reducing our waste and recycling what waste we do generate provides both economic and environmental benefits for Colorado. A strong waste reduction and recycling program can reduce the extraction of natural resources and minimize the associated environmental impacts. To learn more about cutting waste, consult the FAQ below.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle FAQ

  1. What do I need to know about reducing and reusing?
  2. How can I reduce and reuse more?
  3. What do I need to know about composting?
  4. What do I need to know about recycling?
  5. How can I recycle more?
  6. How can I identify products made from recycled materials?
  7. How can I dispose of hazardous waste?
  8. What are pay-as-you-throw programs?
  9. Are there any financial incentives for reducing, reusing and/or recycling?
  10. Are there any laws or legislation I should be aware of?

1. What do I need to know about reducing and reusing?

Reducing and reusing are ways to cut the amount you contribute to the landfill.

Reducing involves designing, manufacturing, purchasing or using materials (such as products and packaging) in ways that reduce the amount or toxicity of trash created. Buying less in general, purchasing items with less superfluous packaging and choosing products with fewer toxic chemicals are three common ways to reduce your contribution to the landfill.

Reusing involves delaying or avoiding disposal of an item by reusing it in the same way or finding a new way to use it. Bringing reusable bags to the grocery store, finding new uses for old items, and purchasing or making items made from recycled materials are common and simple ways to reuse.

Through reducing and reusing, we can:

Save natural resources.
Waste is not just created when consumers throw items away. Throughout the life cycle of a product, from extraction of raw materials to transportation to processing and manufacturing facilities to manufacture and use, waste is generated. Reusing items or making them with less material decreases waste dramatically. Ultimately, less materials will need to be recycled or sent to landfills or waste combustion facilities.

Reduce the toxicity of waste.
Selecting nonhazardous or less hazardous items is another important component of source reduction. Using less hazardous alternatives for certain items (e.g., cleaning products and pesticides), sharing products that contain hazardous chemicals instead of throwing out leftovers, reading label directions carefully and using the smallest amount necessary are ways to reduce waste toxicity.

Reduce costs.
The benefits of preventing waste go beyond reducing reliance on other forms of waste disposal. Preventing waste also can mean economic savings for communities, businesses, schools and individuals. Buying products in bulk, with less packaging, or choosing products that are reusable (not single use), will generally save you money.

2. How can I reduce and reuse more?

  • Buy less. Think about whether you can rent, share or borrow rarely used items, like party supplies, camping gear, power tools—even a car.
  • Don’t throw away what you can give away. Consider donating reusable items to a charity rather than discarding them. Someone else may get years of use out of something that would otherwise end up in the landfill.
  • Choose products with minimal packaging. Packaging materials account for a significant amount of the trash we generate. Consider buying items in bulk or those with minimal packaging.
  • Choose products with reduced toxicity, such as batteries with reduced mercury. The EPA site can help you identify alternatives to replace many products—pesticides, cleaners, polishes, deodorizers, and others—that contain hazardous components.
  • Consider reusable products. Many products are designed to be used more than once, such as cloth napkins, dishcloths, rechargeable batteries, refillable containers and washable utensils.
  • Maintain and repair durable products. Choose and maintain durable items such as clothing, tires, furniture, luggage and appliances that are less likely to wear out or break. Although durable products sometimes cost more initially, their extended life span often offsets the higher cost and saves money over the product life.
  • Reuse bags, containers and other items. Purchase reusable shopping bags or reuse the paper or plastic ones. Before discarding containers, consider if it is hygienic and practical to reuse them. Be creative!
  • Choose recyclable products. Identify items and/or packaging that can be recycled, and then be sure to recycle them!
  • Select products made from recycled materials. Look for recycled content whenever possible, including paper, glass, metal, plastic and other items. Understand product labeling and know how to identify recycled products. Support artists and artisans who are creatively reusing resources, too.

3. What do I need to know about composting?

Through the process of composting, food scraps and yard trimmings decompose to make an organic, dirt-like material filled with microorganisms that improve the fertility of soil. Making and using compost can improve the health of your lawn and garden, cut your contribution to the landfill and eliminate the need to use toxic, artificial fertilizers. It takes a little experimenting, but most people are surprised at how easy it is to compost. Many local organizations offer composting classes. Some areas in Colorado are even starting to offer curbside organic waste pickup as part of their trash service, making it even easier to compost.

For more information:

Learn how to compost from the Colorado State University Extension.

4. What do I need to know about recycling?

Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. Recycling includes collecting recyclable materials that would otherwise be considered waste, sorting and processing recyclables into raw materials such as fibers, manufacturing raw materials into new products, and purchasing recycled products.

Recycling has these and other benefits:

  • Saves energy
  • Protects and creates manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness
  • Reduces the need for landfilling and incineration, thereby lowering greenhouse gases and reducing our contribution to climate change
  • Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals and prevents the pollution caused by the acquisition and manufacturing of these materials
  • Reduces our impact on the environment, preserving it for future generations

5. How can I recycle more?

What you can recycle usually depends on where you live and the services offered in your area. Check with your garbage pickup vendor or local recycling, solid waste, environment or public works department to learn more. If you’re in doubt about whether some or all of an unusual item, such as a computer, is recyclable, you may wish to contact the manufacturer.

If curbside recycling is available in your community, join your local recycling program and follow their protocols. Otherwise, take advantage of local drop-off centers, buy-back centers and deposit/refund programs.

Commonly recycled materials include:

  • Paper - Newspaper, office paper, cardboard, and other paper types
  • Yard Trimmings - Grass, leaves, and shrub and tree clippings are recycled via composting
  • Glass - Bottles and jars (clear, green and amber)
  • Aluminum - Beverage containers
  • Other Metals - Steel cans, auto bodies, refrigerators, stoves and batteries
  • Used Motor Oil - Vehicle crankcase oil
  • Plastics - Soda bottles, milk jugs, bags and detergent containers

For more information:

Check out the Colorado Recycles website and view their statewide guide to recycling resources.

Visit the Colorado Association for Recycling website for resources, information on events and more.

Learn about source reduction recycling and composting from the EPA.

Explore WasteWise, an EPA program that helps its partners meet goals to reduce and recycle municipal solid waste and selected industrial wastes:

Check out FreecycleTM, a program developed to build community and promote reuse and recycling by helping individuals find homes for items they no longer wish to keep.

6. How can I identify products made from recycled materials?

Buying products made from recycled materials can help reduce waste, too. But product labels can be confusing, so use the following definitions to understand manufacturers' claims.

Recycled-content products are made from materials that would otherwise have been discarded. Items in this category are made totally or partially from material destined for disposal or recovered from industrial activities—like aluminum soda cans or newspaper. Recycled-content products can also be items that are rebuilt or remanufactured from used products such as toner cartridges or computers.

Post-consumer content refers to material from products that were used by consumers or businesses and would otherwise be discarded as waste. If a product is labeled "recycled content," the rest of the product material might have come from excess or damaged items generated during normal manufacturing processes—not collected through a local recycling program.

Recyclable products can be collected and remanufactured into new products after they've been used. These products do not necessarily contain recycled materials and only benefit the environment if people recycle them after use. Check with your local recycling program to determine which items are recyclable in your community.

You may also wish to look for the Green Seal® label. Green Seal is an independent rating organization that maintains a list of its certified products including cleaning products, paint, paper and re-refined oil. The products featured are those Green Seal has found to be environmentally preferable.

For more information:

View a summary of the Federal Trade Commission's brochure Sorting Out Green Advertising Claims.

Review FTC guidelines for the use of environmental marketing claims.

Learn about the Green Seal program.

7. How can I dispose of hazardous waste?

Some counties and municipalities conduct annual collections of household hazardous wastes, while others have permanent collection facilities or sponsor curbside pickup programs. Household chemical waste collections are limited to residents of the county or municipality that sponsors the event or facility. Proof of residency is usually required before wastes will be accepted. There may also be a fee associated with collections to help defray the costs of the collection activities.

For more information:

Learn about hazardous waste disposal in your county.

8. What are pay-as-you-throw programs?

Pay-as-you-throw programs (also known as unit pricing or variable-rate pricing programs), charge residents for the collection of municipal solid waste—ordinary household trash—based on the amount they throw away. This creates a direct economic incentive to recycle more and to generate less waste.

For more information:

Learn about pay-as-you-throw programs and find out where they’re available.

9. Are there any financial incentives for reducing, reusing and/or recycling?

Colorado’s Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity Act of 2007 (HB 07-1288) includes Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity (RREO) grants, which are intended to fund implementation projects that promote economic development through the productive management of recyclable materials that would otherwise be treated as discards.

For more information:

Get details and apply for grants at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's website.

10. Are there any laws or legislation I should be aware of?

House Bill 09-1282 created an Electronic Device Recycling Task Force to gather input regarding the benefits and consequences of establishing a landfill disposal ban for electronic devices and the best way to: increase diversion rates for electronic devices; promote new nontoxic designs for electronics; create jobs in Colorado, and build on, not supplant or undermine, the existing infrastructure, which is primarily in the private sector, that currently diverts electronic waste in Colorado.

For more information:

Visit the Colorado Association for Recycling’s Legislative Updates page.