3 R's & Green Shopping

By Michael Patton, Executive Director The Metropolitan Environmental Trust, the M.e.t.Tulsa, Oklahoma

3 R’s & Shopping GreenA Guide to Green Shopping

On Average Americans generate 4.5 lbs. of trash per day = 1600 lbs. of trash per year

Total MSW Generation in 2010250 Million Tons (before recycling)

EPA-530-F-11-005 | November 2011| www.epa.gov/wastes

Where does your trash go?

The 3 R’s

Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

R E D U C E

Use less stuff. Purchase

exactly what is needed.

Look at packaging.

Buy in bulk.

R E U S E

B.O.B. (Bring Own Bag

Plastic and paper bags

Water Bottles Steel Cans Glass Jars Cereal Boxes

Minimize the bottle!Save your money!

Americans spend about $11,000 per minute on bottled water.

Tap water costs an average of $.002 per gallon while a gallon of bottled water costs from $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon.

R E C Y C L E

Owasso Recycling Center Location: 499 South Main Owasso, OK Phone: 918-272-4991  Hours of Operation:

Tuesday - Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMClosed designated holidays.

WE ACCEPT: Aluminum

AntifreezeBatteries

CardboardCooking oil

GlassNewspaperOffice PaperPhone booksPlastics (#1 & #2)

Motor oilPassenger Tires

R E T H I N K

Before you buy: Do I really need it? Packaging

Bulk Responsible Manufacturer How far did it travel to get

here? Trash or Recycle You vote every time you spend

a dollar

Recycling Reduces Energy Consumption

Making new steel from old scrap offers up to 75% energy savings.

Producing aluminum from scrap instead of bauxite ore cuts energy use by 95%, yet we still through away more than a million tons of aluminum per year.

Paper recycling could save up to 70% of the energy needed to create paper from new timber.

Compost your leaves, grass and food waste instead of sending them to the landfill. Most natural garden wastes can be composted, thus yielding free fertilizer without polluting the air.

Compost Organic Waste

Buy LocalBuy Recycled PackagingBuy Recyclable PackagingBuy Reduced Packaging

Every dollar I spend is a vote for the environment.

People want to be better shoppers.

Package Material Storage Shipping Reuse Disposal

Produce Aisle

Packaging by Mother Nature

COMPOSTABLE

Fair Trade, Country of Origin and

Buy Local when available

Organic food must be produced without the use of sewer-sludge fertilizers, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and irradiation. A variety of agricultural products can be produced organically, including produce, grains, meat, dairy, eggs and processed food products.

What is Organic?

Baskets, Bags and TraysBananas and Banana Bread

Meat & Dairy Aisle

Fresh, Frozen or Canned

Re-sealable Bag

Average Annual ExpenditureMeat, Poultry, Fish & Eggs

15 percent of American’s total food budget is spent on meat, poultry, fish & eggs.

Food Institute analysis based on Bureau of Labor statistics

Use a meal planner to reduce waste!

Paper or cardboard vs. Polystyrene egg cartons

Buying in the deli allows for portion control

Paperboard milk cartons vs. Plastic milk jugs

Natural vs. Dyed containers

Bottle Grade Plastics

94 percent of plastic bottles are #1 or #2vs. plastic tubs.

Cereal Aisle

Cereal Boxes as Art

Box is Pure MarketingThe One Box we Read

Bag inside a Box vs. Bag only

100% Recycled Rising Post-

Consumer Content

Beverage Aisle

Total U.S. Beverage Consumption in 2005

Carbonated Soft Drinks  28.3% Bottled Water  10.7% Milk 10.9% Coffee 9.0% Beer 11.7% Fruit Beverages 4.7% Sports Drinks 2.3% Tea 3.8% Wine 1.2% Distilled Spirits 0.7% All Others 15.3%

Source – American Beverage Association

53 million plastic bottles are thrown in the trash every day.

In Tulsa, the average household buys 225 bottles of water per year. Of those, 16 are recycled.

Snack Aisle

Chips vs. CrackersGive Piece a Chance

Paper Product Aisle

Virgin vs. Post Consumer

Grades of Paper Recycle-phobia Quality of Products

Cleaning/Household Products

Beware of words like ‘toxic’, ‘hazardous’, and ‘caution’ on label

Find safer alternatives

Buy Concentrated?

Natural Drain Cleaner 1/2 cup baking soda 1/2 cup white vinegar Boiling water Pour baking soda down the

drain. Add white vinegar Cover the drain, if possible.

Let set for 5 minutes. Then pour a kettle of boiling

water down the drain.

At the Checkout

Paper vs. Plastic

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is the right order.

People who recycle create jobs.

It is not just the product; it is also the

package.

Save the planet.

Recap

The Metropolitan Environmental TrustMichael Patton, Executive Director

recyclemichael@yahoo.comMetrecycle.com918-584-0584Facebook.com/theMETrecycle