Tip2: 3R The Plastic Shopping Bags

This is the most simplest thing you can do to help the environment.

When I was growing up in India, it was a common practice for everybody to use re-usable shopping bags - mostly made of cloth. It has now become common place everywhere for retailers to pack shopped goods in nice plastic shopping bags - the bags serve the purpose of advertising, establishing brand image and providing convenience to customers. Now everybody is used to "not using" re-usable shopping bags.

But remember the adage "OLD is GOLD"? Some old practices are rather golden. These days most retailers are promoting the use of re-usable shopping bags. Where I live, retailers are selling and trying to promote the use of re-usable shopping bags. The bags are cheap (about a dollar) and the one time investment will go a long way in helping reduce the amount of plastic filling the land-fills.

Other ways to reduce the use of plastic bags & re-use them:
1. If you are in the store and buying only one or two items - ask the cashier not to bag the item and hand carry it.
2. If you don't have your re-usable bag with you - ask for a paper bag if you absolutely need a bag.
3. I usually have a couple of extra plastic bags in my car. In case I forget my re-usable bag or my re-usable bag is full, I re-use the plastic bags in my car.
4. It is a common practice for many to re-use the plastic shopping bags as trash can liners.

Recycle used shopping bags:
Do not throw plastic shopping bags in the trash can. Most retailers now accept used plastic bags and recycle them. Check for your local options to recycle used plastic shopping bags.

Tip1: Reduce Junk Mail

This tip applies only to US Residents.

US Residents are very familiar with the clutter in their mailbox from credit card companies, insurance agencies, retailers and other service providers with "pre-approved" offers of credit and what not. You can opt-out from receiving these unsolicited mails by filling in an electronic opt-out form at this website - https://www.optoutprescreen.com/. You have choices to opt out for 5 years or permanently for life. The website also provides an option to opt-in in case you want to get those offers again.

This has a two-fold use:
1. You are reducing paper waste
2. You are minimizing the chances of identity theft. Think of all the pre-approved offers ending in the garbage/recycle can only for somebody else to find out your personal information on them.