​​Suggestions for Reducing Household Material Consumption

We’re not saying you should do everything on the list, but please do something! If everyone did a little, the difference it would make would be a lot.

  • Stop junk mail
  • Eat less meat (Production of meat can be many times more energy-intensive and resource-intensive than vegetable production. Just cutting meat consumption by one day a week would save more resources than you recycle in a month.)
  • Compost at home
  • Drive Less
  • Shop at locally owned businesses
  • Choose less packaging
  • Double-side copies at the office
  • Choose non-toxic alternatives
  • Buy and repair durable products
  • Buy used goods
  • Borrow, rent or share items
  • Sell or donate salvageable goods
  • Use gift bags: the gift that goes around and around!

Find Ways to Reuse Your Materials

Aside from reusing an item (like a reusable shopping bag)…
​Upcycling means reusing old or discarded materials and crafting them
into something completely new. Here are some ideas:

20+ Unique Ways to Recycle Old Tires

Make Yarn from Plastic Bags

Step-by-Step Rag Rug Instructions

Know how and what to recycle!

The complete guide of how to recycle most materials can be found in our A-Z Guide. For more reading on recycling, composting, & Vermont Recycling Law, have a look at our Resources page.