Reduce Waste to
prevent marine debris
Get your name taken
off junk mail lists. Learn how at www.stopjunkmail.org . (x1)
Seek out products
with minimal packaging and avoid products with excessive
packaging. (x5)
Buy products in bulk
when appropriate. (x5)
When packing food for
lunch or a picnic, put food in reusable containers rather than
disposable plastic and paper bags. (x5)
Use cloth napkins and
towels instead of paper napkins and paper towels. Use a sponge
or towel for cleanup jobs in the kitchen. (x5)
Clean and reuse glass
jars for storage. (x5)
Refill a water bottle
instead of buying a new one. (x5)
Use pens that can be
refilled, rather than disposable pens. (x1)
Instead of disposable
razors, purchase a razor with blades that can be replaced.
(x1)
Use the backsides of
paper for scratch paper, grocery lists, and phone messages.
(x5)
Reuse gift bags,
ribbons, and wrapping paper. (x2)
Donate unwanted
clothes, furniture, and other items to thrift stores or
charities, and when possible, purchase needed items at thrift
stores and garage sales. (x1)
If you receive a
package containing foam peanuts, reuse them yourself or take
them to a shipping store that will reuse them. (x1)
Use old newspapers
instead of foam peanuts to cushion fragile items in packages.
(x2)
When mailing a
package or moving to a new home, reuse old boxes. Ask a market
or other store if they have old cardboard boxes that you can
have. (x1)
Recycle all glass,
aluminum cans and foil, glass bottles, paper, and all plastic
that is accepted by your recycling facility (usually recycle
codes #1 and #2). (x5)
Buy recycled products
whenever possible. Buy products with the highest percentage of
post-consumer content that you can find. (x5)
When given the choice
between a recyclable glass container and a disposable plastic
container, choose glass. (x5)
If you find a
six-pack ring, break or cut the loops of plastic before
disposing of it. (x5)
Share magazine or
newspaper subscriptions with a friend. (x1)
Use the library to
borrow books and magazines. (x3)
Start a compost bin.
Visit the CalRecycle
website for tips. (x1)
Conserve
Water
Turn off the water
while you hand wash dishes. (x5)
Run your dishwasher
only when you have a full load. (x5)
Turn off the faucet
when you brush your teeth or shave. (x5)
Instead of running
the faucet for a cold drink of water, keep a pitcher of water
in the refrigerator. (x5)
Reduce the time of
your showers. Shoot for five minutes or less. You could also
try a "navy" shower: Get yourself wet in the shower, then turn
the water off while you lather up. Turn it back on to rinse
off. (x5)
If you have an old
showerhead, purchase a new, low-flow showerhead. Any new
showerhead made in the U.S. will use a maximum of 2.5
gallons/minute. (x1)
If you take baths,
don’t fill the tub up all the way. Only use as much water as
necessary. (x5)
Purchase an
inexpensive, low-flow faucet aerator for the sinks in your
kitchen and bathroom. These can use as little as 1 gallon of
water per minute. (x1)
Repair any faucet
leaks as soon as possible. (x1)
Place a bottle of
water in the tank of your toilet to reduce the amount of water
used for flushing. (x1)
If you have an old
toilet, replace it with a new one. If your toilet was made
after 1992, it uses an average of only 1.6 gallons/flush.
(x1)
Run your clothes
washer only when you have a full load. (x5)
Purchase a new, high
efficiency clothes washer, which can reduce the water used by
40%. (x1)
Keep a bucket in the
bathroom and kitchen for when you’re waiting for the water to
warm up. Collect the cold water and use it to water plants,
wash the floor, or flush your toilet. (x5)
Replace water-loving
plants (like conventional lawn) with native and
drought-tolerant plants. (x1)
Water outdoor plants
early in the morning or late in the day to reduce the amount
of water lost to evaporation. (x5)
Adjust sprinklers so
water doesn’t run off onto the sidewalk or street. (x1)
Set your lawn mower
to a high setting. Taller grass needs less watering. (x1)
Make sure that your
hose has a nozzle that can be turned off when not in use.
(x1)
Prevent
Pollution
Purchase organic and
locally grown food whenever possible. (x5)
Divert rainspouts
from paved areas to areas with lawn or other vegetation, in
order to increase the infiltration of water into the soil and
reduce run-off into storm drains. (x1)
To clean the driveway
or patio, use a broom instead of the hose; this reduces the
dirty water flowing into storm drains as well as conserves
water. (x5)
Cover outdoor trash
cans securely. (x5)
Keep storm drains
clean and clear of debris. (x3)
Use low-phosphate or
phosphate-free detergents. (x5)
Use latex paint
instead of oil-based paint. (x1)
Use less-toxic
methods of pest control in your garden. Visit the City of San Francisco’s Public Utilities
Commission website for ideas. (x3)
Use less toxic
cleaning products such as baking soda and vinegar. Download
the Clean It! brochure
Properly dispose of
household paints, chemicals, batteries and electronics. Never
dump paint or chemicals down the sink or in gutters or storm
drains. To find a hazardous waste collection facility near
you, visit http://www.earth911.org/ . (x2)
Get Active
Support companies
that practice responsible environmental policies. (x3)
Run a neighborhood
cleanup campaign. (x1)
Talk with your
friends, family, neighbors, etc. about the marine debris problem, especially the
problems associated with plastic debris. (x3)
If you don’t like the
practices of a company, write them a letter to express your
dissatisfaction and to encourage them to change. Choose
another company to give your business to. (x1)
Educate yourself
about local and state environmental and coastal initiatives.
Share your views with others and encourage them to go to the
polls with you on Election Day. (x1)
Assist in the
campaign to pass an environmental initiative that you believe
in. Canvass your neighborhood, make phone calls, or put up
signs. (x1)
Write a letter to the
editor of your newspaper about a coastal issue. (x1)
Write a letter to an
elected official to encourage them to take positive action on
an environmental or coastal issue. (x1) 
