The PA Resources Council urges Pennsylvanian’s to make a New Year’s resolution to care for the environment-- especially since an average American produces 4.4 pounds of waste each day! 

“While most people have heard the phrase ‘reduce, reuse, recycle,’ we’re suggesting everyone up their game in the coming year to incorporate into their everyday activities the “five Rs” of zero waste principles,” according to Justin Stockdale, Managing Director of the PA Resources Council. 

“As a new year begins, PRC encourages everyone to reimagine a brighter future – and to eliminate tons of clutter and waste in their own lives,” said Stockdale.  “It’s easy to remember the principles of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ and then add a new one at the beginning and another at the end to become a commitment to REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE and ROT.”

PRC offers 5 easy ways to reduce your environmental impact throughout the coming year--

REFUSE

Learn to say “no” and refuse products that can harm you, your family or the environment.  Refuse to use plastic bags and plastic straws.  Sign up to end receiving junk mail. 

REDUCE

Declutter your home and donate items to a local thrift shop.  Reduce shopping trips and use a shopping list. The less you bring home, the less waste you’ll need to dispose of later.

REUSE

Reuse as many items as possible, including handkerchiefs, refillable bottles, shopping totes, cloth napkins, etc.  Attend PRC’s annual ReuseFest. 

RECYCLE

Know your municipality’s recycling policies and locations.  Learn to recycle items not accepted in curbside pick up, such as electronics, light bulbs, batteries, household chemicals and other potentially harmful products.  Attend PRC hard-to-recycle and/or household chemical collections.

ROT

Compost!  Learn how to turn kitchen, garden and yard scraps into natural, homemade compost for your lawn and garden.  Attend a PRC composting workshop.

“Throughout the year, PRC offers a wide variety of collection events, educational workshops and online resources to enable residents to properly dispose of waste,” said Stockdale.  “Changing habits to include more thought about what we purchase, how we use things and how we dispose of materials can truly eliminate clutter in our lives and protect the environment at the same time – an admirable goal for the coming year.”

For more information on workshops, programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the PA Resources Council website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates, follow PRC on Twitter or Like them on Facebook.  Click Here for PRC’s Events Calendar.  Click Here to support their work. 

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[Posted: December 23, 2019]

12/30/2019