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United States Environmental Protection Agency
Consumer Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste
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The Consumer's Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste

 

a calico cat coming out of a paper bag a yellow cats paw print The Cat's Out of the Bag! This site describes how people can help solve a growing problem...garbage!

a capital green letter I with a yellow cats paw printndividual consumers can help alleviate America's mounting trash problem by making environmentally aware decisions about everyday things like shopping and caring for the lawn. Like the story that says that cats have nine lives, so do many of the items we use every day.

Reusing products is just one way to cut down on what we throw away. This web site outlines many practical steps to reduce the amount and toxicity of garbage. These aren't the only steps that can be taken to reduce waste, but they're a good start.

a calico cat on top of a pile of trash The Problem Is Too Much Trash
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Learn why trash has become a major problem today.
a pie chart showing trash Source Reduction: A Basic Solution
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Source reduction is waste prevention: less waste means less of a waste problem.
Get the facts.
a city skyline Making Source Reduction Work
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Learn what we can do to prevent solid waste build-up, and read about a few success stories.
cartoon newspaper characters The Four Basic Principles
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Find out what it means to reduce, reuse, recycle and respond.
a cat in a teacher's cap and gown standing on a stack of books The Twelve Tips
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You can start reducing waste right now.
Twelve easy-to-follow tips for waste prevention.
a calico cat standing next to several trash cans Conclusion
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So what have we learned?
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