Waste Reduction

Reducing the amount of waste produced is the first step in managing municipal solid waste. Responsibility for this function falls on manufacturers and consumers alike. Using less packaging material can save resources and money. Manufacturers call this process lightweighting. The table below reflects changes in the weights of materials used to make glass, aluminum, stell and plastic containers (in pounds per 100):

There are numerous actions that we as consumers can take to reduce waste, such as:

using both sides of a sheet of paper,
leaving grass clippings on the lawn;
purchasing products in larger quantities to reduce the amount of packaging thrown away;
and buying refills.

Each one seems small, but together they add up.

Waste Reduction Exercise

Shell fresh peas from the pods.
Set pods aside in one bowl and put shelled peas on another bowl.
Discuss how you would handle the pea pod waste in your home. (compost, garbage disposal, other). If you do not compost, discuss how much waste is created.
Examine a one pound bag of frozen peas and think about the waste of the plastic bag. What do you do with this waste? (garbage, recycle)?
Weigh the pea pods on the scale. Compare the amount of waste by weight, created by shelling the peas at home versus the amount of waste created by purchasing the preshelled peas. For example, for every pound of fresh peas, about 1.6 pounds of pea pod waste is created. An empty one-pound back of frozen peas weighs about 1 oz.
Do you think we are displacing the waste from the household to the food processor by buying packaged peas? Research shows that the food processor generally does not throw away food waste. It is usually converted to by-products such as animal feed or fertilizer, or is composted.