Reduce Your Waste

Diverting regular recycling, special recycling, hazardous waste, and materials like food scraps and yard waste from the landfill is required by VT law. But we can make a bigger impact by reducing the amount of waste we generate to start with.

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Low Waste Guidance and Resources
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Shop Smart: 
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1. Pause to avoid impulse purchases.
2. Choose items with these qualities:

• Made of natural, recycled or recyclable materials
• Pre-owned/secondhand
• Made or sold locally
• Built to last and/or repairable​
• Minimal or no packaging

3. Rent or borrow instead of buying.
4. Plan grocery shopping and meals to reduce food waste 

Buy Used, Sell or Donate:
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​Try online options like Front Porch Forum, Craigslist, ​Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle, and local newspapers.​

Local Secondhand Retailers

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Repair:
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Make or hire repairs

Repair Services

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Get The Nitty Gritty

Kitchen & Grocery Shopping

• ​Use cloth towels & napkins 
• Reuse clean aluminum foil
• Use rags for cleaning​​​
• Use leftovers
• Make soup stock from meal prep scraps: veggies, meat, fat, bones.
• Freeze older fruit for smoothies
• Reuse to-go containers to pack lunches or repackage large portions.​

Save money, avoid packaging & waste:

• ​Shop farmer's markets, produce stands & bulk sections 
• Bring containers & buy bulk beans, coffee, dried fruit, grains, nuts, nut butter, pasta, tea, soap & spices.
• Nix single serving size for larger containers to save money & plastic.
• Stash shopping bags where you will remember them. 

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Cleaning

• Buy less toxic cleaning products in bulk or make your own.
• Use cleaning rags instead of paper towels.​

Dining In or Out

• Use durable dishes and cloth napkins.​
• Nix plastic wrap. Use plates as bowl covers or reusable dish covers.
• Bring left-overs to work in reusable containers.
• Compost food scraps. It's the law.​
• Bring your own left-overs containers.
• Bring your own straw or silverware.

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Bathroom

• fewer & less toxic personal care products
• bulk or bar: soap, shampoo & conditioner
• tree-free toilet paper with no plastic packaging

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Wardrobe

• Buy only what you will wear.
• Shop vintage or secondhand.
• Mend or alter clothes & shoes or hire a tailor/cobbler.

General Home & Entertainment

• Stop junk mail & cancel unused subscriptions.
• Purchase used furniture and durable goods.
• ​Consumable, practical or home-made gifts: event tickets, meals, edible treats, repairs, baby sitting, gardening, money, etc.
• Buy used electronics or have them repaired​
• Low Waste Party/Event Planning.
• Find used gear on consignment or at swaps
  

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Parenthood

• Nurse instead of buying formula.
• Use cloth diapers &/or use elimination communication
• Make baby food & store in jars or non-toxic, reusable pouches
• Coordinate with other families for hand-me-down clothes, gear & toys. 

bulk grocery section, reused jars in spice pantry, $300 living room, clothing in closet