Recycle or just not buy wasteful goods?

Question

What do you choose? To buy the product and recycle all that plastic wrapping etc. or do you say no to something you fancy to buy on principle?

Answer 1

Dont buy it!

  I am starting to grow my own food, and buy from the markets as my veggies are then local and seasonal and not wrapped in packaging.  

I rarely shop in supermarkets so rarely buy things with packaging. Our local health shop stocks ecological detergents etc in large containers and we fill our smaller ones from these so there's no waste packaging my end there and the big containers at the shop seem to be used as water containers by many people so it doesnt look like there's much waste there either.

I reuse anything i can, revamp things and compost almost everything else.  Surplus left overs get given away to friends and others who can use them.

I still have to reduce what i use, im not where i want to be yet and i am responsible for adding to landfill still, we are a 3 person family and we produce a full small size wheelie bin of landfill waste every couple of months - this is plastics, packaging and broken toys etc, my target is to reduce this by half by the end of the year. I think by refusing to let people give my children unnecessary toys and stuff this shouldnt be too difficult plus my food will be growing in the garden by then too...

Answer 2

I don't buy what I can avoid and recycle what I can't.

Answer 3

recycle what we can but use less unnecessary wrappings

Answer 4

I try not to buy things that are over packaged.  I check to make sure that a package or container can be recycled before I make a purchase.  If it can't be then I don't buy it!

Answer 5

by sticking rigidly to the list i got round the supermarket this week without buying anything overpackaged yaay! no veg or meat, just cleaning products, flour etc in minimal wrapping. felt really weird, no 'nice food' hit, but sort of virtuous.

Answer 6

I DONT BUY!

I dont need most of the junk people try to sell me.. I recognize "needs" and "wants" are two different things

I work in retail and can assure you - even if YOU recycle there is a PILE of garbage created by the shops in getting those items to  you..

AND a MESS created in the manufacturing sector..

here is also how I shop for most items I do "need"

http://www.quazen.com/Shopping/Clothing/...

Answer 7

We shop on principal.  If the container can not be reused or recycled, we do not buy it.

Take for instance, glass jars.  America uses the most glass jars of the modernized nations, but we recycle the least.  Since they are not recyclable in our area, I do not buy them.

If you notice, often a large part of the purchase price is the packaging and the cost of shipping those items to the store.

Packaging for food items, usually isn't recyclable.  But, can be kept separate, for those items that are.

We use a grocery that wraps the meats instead of Styrofoam trays.  The wax paper isn't recyclable, or reuse able, but still is not mixed into our rubbish.

Since card board, like with shoe boxes doesn't get recycled here either, we either leave the box at the store, or reuse it at home.

Many stores will let you drop off cardboard if they cube their boxes.  All you have to do is ask.

Other things that don't have to go into the trash:  Christmas trees, phone books, batteries, hard plastics, sneakers, tires.

Answer 8

Recycling is better,after all everything is full of junk ...........

dont u think?

Answer 9

RECYCLE IS THE WAY TO GO..I KNOW IT SEEMS AS A HASSLE BUT MOST TOWNS HAVE RECYCLE TRUCKS THAT COME ALONG..GOOD THING FOR ME IS I LIVE ACROSS HIGHWAY FROM RECYCLE CENTER..WHY NOT HAVE THE GOODS YOU WANT?? DONT CHOOSE TO GO WITHOUT JUST BECAUSE NOT RECYCLE

Answer 10

You need to tell your local store that you dont want all of that packaging. Most stores are demanding manufacturers to bulk up their packaging because they dont want skimpy packaging to result in damages and losses at the store level. Club stores are the exception.

Answer 11

I buy things that come with the least amount of packaging even if I have heard the product is good. I would never buy bottled water thats for sure. I cant believe how many people buy all the "single" serve products and microwave dinners and such. I also made my own shopping bags out of old clothing instead of using plastic or paper. My own bags are bigger and better than the ones they sell at the store. Cant people do anything on their own anymore?

Answer 12

"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" are written in the order that has the most benefit.

If you don't need it, don't buy it.  And don't be fooled by merchandising that their "want" of your money equates to your "need" to have it.