Waste Reduction

The typical American produces 4.5 pounds of trash every day. That's higher than any other country in the world. All of these items use resources, create pollution and release carbon in their production and transportation to market. Many of them are not reusable or recyclable. The number one way to help the environment is to reduce waste by never purchasing or using these items in the first place.

There are several small things each of us can do every day to reduce our waste.

• The average American uses more than 150 plastic water bottles a year, choose a reusable metal or glass water bottle to reduce the impact of plastic production and disposal.
• Choose reusable grocery bags every time you go shopping, or a reusable coffee cup for your morning buzz.

Americans waste 25 percent of all food purchases representing $1,600 a year. When we throw away food, we're also wasting all the energy, water, and other resources used to produce, package and transport food to our plates. Use our Food: Too Good to Waste Toolkit to learn how to reduce food waste in your home. Reduce your environmental impact and save money.