• Don’t accept an extra paper or plastic bag in stores if you’re only going to throw it away. Many stores have plastic bag recycling programs. Bring back plastic bags to the store that offers recycling. You can always purchase reusable bags. Most grocery and department stores sell reusable bags close to the checkout counters or if they do not offer reusable bags, ask the cashier or even the manager.

• Write on both sides of paper; use recycled paper products when you can. The recycled paper products will usually be identified on the front of the packaging or on the back. Many stores offer printer paper, greeting cards, food packaging, stationery, notebooks, as well as other items on recycled paper.
• Buy drinks in returnable bottles whenever possible. Some places do not offer returnable bottles, if they do, return the items to be reused.

• If you enjoy purchasing a cold beverage in a store, you might reach into the cooler and pull your favorite beverage in a plastic bottle. What if you thought for one second the alternatives to that plastic bottle.  You could choose a plastic cup and fill it with a fountain drink instead. This cup can be reused many times and, in most cases, refills are typically more inexpensive than bottled beverages. Reusing items helps with reducing the waste it creates and then these same items can be recycled.

• Avoid buying over-packaged goods. Manufacturers are catching on to reduce the amount of packaging on some items. Various products are now sold in more compact containers. Some are even sold in bulk, therefore, more potential to reduce packaging.

Unfortunately, the goals of package designers are opposite of the goals of waste managers. Packagers want containers that won’t burn, break, crush, degrade, or dissolve, while these are the features waste managers do not want.

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