Top five ways to reduce waste at UW-Green Bay

UW-Green Bay sustainability intern Molly Collard wants to see a heightened awareness of recycling on campus… and the price we pay if we don’t. Recently she was featured in a story about “RecycleMania,” a competition between college campuses. Now Collard has some helpful hints on how to reduce. Here’s her top five:

— Limit use of disposable items such as plastic silverware, paper plates, to-go containers and plastic cups, and opt for reusable mugs, water bottles, plates and silverware. And remember to BYOB (bring your own bag), eliminating waste from “paper or plastic?.”

— Smart printing — Print less and print double-sided when you have to print.

— Buy food with less packaging — Do you really need those single-serving packages of snacks? Buy in bulk and make your own single servings in reusable containers. Better yet — eat more fruits and veggies! They often come in their own edible or compostable packaging.

— Donate/sell items — Before tossing your stuff, think about donating your unwanted items to Goodwill or if you don’t want to haul it there, try posting it on Craigslist. Maybe you could get some money for your stuff and bonus — free pick up by the new owner!

— Is there a use for that? — Think about reusing what you have before purchasing new items. Shoeboxes are great for storing photos and other small items. Cleaned out glass jars (think pasta sauce) make great containers for pencils, cotton balls, or smaller portions of bulk food purchases.