Purchase and use school supplies made from recycled products, such as pencils made from old blue jeans and binders made from old shipping boxes.Before starting the new school year, look through last year’s materials. By practicing the '3 R's' of waste reduction-reduce, reuse, and recycle-we can all do our part. Students, parents, and teachers can all make a difference in reducing waste at school. When using cleaning products, use only the amount you need and follow the bottle’s directions for use and disposal. For cleaning chores, buy reusable mops, rags and sponges.Look for household hazardous waste collection days in your community to properly dispose of cleaners, paints, automotive supplies and other hazardous items. Be sure to properly dispose of any non-recyclable items that you won’t be taking with you.Many organizations, such as U-Haul, have places where you can drop of unused boxes for others to reuse. Be sure to recycle packaging materials after your move. Use moving boxes with the highest content of recycled paper and bubble wrap containing recycled plastic.When moving, use old newspapers to wrap fragile materials.Have a yard sale to find homes for clothes, toys, appliances, and books that you no longer need.If you do use disposable batteries, reduce hazardous waste by buying ones with low mercury content. Prevent waste by keeping rechargeable batteries for your flashlights. Doing so will save energy and help your lights last longer. Turn off or unplug lights during the day.Clean and properly store tools, toys and outdoor furniture to protect them from damage and keep them out of landfills.Use insulation made from recycled paper, glass, and other recovered materials.Once cooled, wood ashes can be mixed into your compost heap and provide nutrients to your garden. If you have a wood burning fireplace, save your ashes instead of throwing them away.Donate healthy plants that you want to replace to community gardens, parks and schools.

The clippings will return nutrients to the soil instead of taking up space in landfills.

When you mow, “grasscycle” by leaving grass clippings on your lawn instead of bagging then.

If you need large lawn and garden equipment such as tillers and chainsaws, you can reduce waste (and save money) by setting up a sharing program with your neighbors.

Raise the cutting height of your lawnmower during hot summer months to keep grass roots shaded and cooler, reducing weed growth, browning, and the need for watering.

Adding the compost you make to soil increases water retention, decreases erosion, and keeps organic materials out of landfills. Use food scraps, yard trimmings, and other organic wastes to create a compost pile. The tips below will help you get started. Learn how you can reduce, reuse, and recycle materials to decrease household waste. The best place to start making a difference is right in your own home.

Roots wrapped around person sketch