Once you have reduced what you buy and reused as much as you can, the next step is recycling and/or composting whatever you can to keep material out of the landfill. Make sure to consider whether the item you are buying is made from recycled content and can be recycled at its end of life. Recycling creates resource materials that can be turned into new products, sidestepping the need for virgin natural resources.

The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy - raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated then transported to wherever it will be sold. Reducing helps sustain the environment for future generations.

As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment and save money. Being able to reuse goods eliminates the demand for new goods to be made and reduces the energy needed to recycle them. Just because you are done with something in its original form, doesn’t mean it isn’t still usable in another way or by another person.