3 R’s & Shopping Green A Guide to Green Shopping

1. 3 R’s & Shopping GreenA Guide to Green Shopping By Michael Patton, Executive Director The Metropolitan Environmental Trust, the M.e.t. Tulsa, Oklahoma

2. On Average Americans generate 4.5 lbs. of trash per day = 1600 lbs. of trash per year

3. Total MSW Generation in 2010250 Million Tons (before recycling) EPA-530-F-11-005 | November 2011| www.epa.gov/wastes

4. Where does your trash go?

5. The 3 R’s Reduce Reuse Recycle

6. R E D U C E • Use less stuff. • Purchase exactly what is needed. • Look at packaging. • Buy in bulk.

7. R E U S E • B.O.B. (Bring Own Bag • Plastic and paper bags • Water Bottles • Steel Cans • Glass Jars • Cereal Boxes

8. Save your money! Americans spend about $11,000 per minute on bottled water. Tap water costs an average of $.002 per gallon while a gallon of bottled water costs from $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon. Minimize the bottle!

9. R E C Y C L E • Owasso Recycling Center • Location: 499 South Main Owasso, OK • Phone: 918-272-4991  • Hours of Operation: • Tuesday - Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM • Closed designated holidays. We Accept: Aluminum Antifreeze Batteries Cardboard Cooking oil Glass Newspaper Office Paper Phone books Plastics (#1 & #2) Motor oil Passenger Tires

10. R E T H I N K • Before you buy: • Do I really need it? • Packaging • Bulk • Responsible Manufacturer • How far did it travel to get here? • Trash or Recycle • You vote every time you spend a dollar

11. Recycling Reduces Energy Consumption Making new steel from old scrap offers up to 75% energy savings. Producing aluminum from scrap instead of bauxite ore cuts energy use by 95%, yet we still through away more than a million tons of aluminum per year. Paper recycling could save up to 70% of the energy needed to create paper from new timber.

12. Compost Organic Waste Compost your leaves, grass and food waste instead of sending them to the landfill. Most natural garden wastes can be composted, thus yielding free fertilizer without polluting the air.

13. Buy LocalBuy Recycled PackagingBuy Recyclable PackagingBuy Reduced Packaging

14. Every dollar I spend is a vote for the environment. People want to be better shoppers.

15. Package Material • Storage • Shipping • Reuse • Disposal

18. Produce Aisle

19. Packaging by Mother Nature Compostable Fair Trade, Country of Origin and Buy Local when available

20. What is Organic? Organic food must be produced without the use of sewer-sludge fertilizers, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and irradiation. A variety of agricultural products can be produced organically, including produce, grains, meat, dairy, eggs and processed food products.

21. Baskets, Bags and TraysBananas and Banana Bread

22. Meat & Dairy Aisle

23. Re-sealable Bag Fresh, Frozen or Canned

24. 15 percent of American’s total food budget is spent on meat, poultry, fish & eggs. Average Annual ExpenditureMeat, Poultry, Fish & Eggs Food Institute analysis based on Bureau of Labor statistics

25. Use a meal planner to reduce waste!

26. Paper or cardboard vs. Polystyrene egg cartons

27. Buying in the deli allows for portion control • Paperboard milk cartons vs. Plastic milk jugs • Natural vs.Dyed containers

28. Bottle Grade Plastics 94 percent of plastic bottles are #1 or #2vs. plastic tubs.

29. Cereal Aisle

30. Cereal Boxes as Art

31. Box is Pure MarketingThe One Box we Read

32. Bag inside a Boxvs. Bag only • 100% Recycled • Rising Post-Consumer Content

34. Beverage Aisle

35. Total U.S. Beverage Consumption in 2005 • Carbonated Soft Drinks  28.3% • Bottled Water  10.7% • Milk 10.9% • Coffee 9.0% • Beer 11.7% • Fruit Beverages 4.7% • Sports Drinks 2.3% • Tea 3.8% • Wine 1.2% • Distilled Spirits 0.7% • All Others 15.3% Source – American Beverage Association

36. 53 million plastic bottles are thrown in the trash every day. In Tulsa, the average household buys 225 bottles of water per year. Of those, 16 are recycled.

37. Snack Aisle

38. Chips vs. CrackersGive Piece a Chance

39. Paper Product Aisle

40. Virgin vs. Post Consumer

41. Grades of Paper • Recycle-phobia • Quality of Products

42. Cleaning/Household Products

43. Beware of words like ‘toxic’, ‘hazardous’, and ‘caution’ on label • Find safer alternatives • Buy Concentrated?

44. 1/2 cup baking soda • 1/2 cup white vinegar • Boiling water • Pour baking soda down the drain. Add white vinegar • Cover the drain, if possible. Let set for 5 minutes. • Then pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain. Natural Drain Cleaner

45. At the Checkout Paper vs. Plastic

46. Recap Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is the right order. People who recycle create jobs. It is not just the product; it is also the package. Save the planet.

47. The Metropolitan Environmental Trust Michael Patton, Executive Director recyclemichael@yahoo.com Metrecycle.com 918-584-0584 Facebook.com/theMETrecycle