You may have seen news reports recently indicating that all that recycling may be a waste … literally.
For the last two decades, China has taken nearly half of the world’s scrap plastic that it would refashion for the manufacturing of sandals, phones, bottles, hoses, and other products. A year ago, the ruling Chinese Communist Party banned those trash imports to focus on more high-profit industries like technology.
But don’t give up! Florida is well on its way to recycling 75% of its waste by next year! While cities and states work to find alternatives to this challenge, the best place to start is to simply reduce your amount of disposable trash. Likewise, “being green” means more than just recycling! Here are a few tips to get you started:
- No more plastic bags! Use cloth bags for groceries and shopping in general; when you visit the market, use mesh reusable produce bags (you can put them directly into the refrigerator and vegetables will even last longer!)
- Skip the straw! Now that we’ve been made aware of the profound impact the seemingly harmless plastic straw is having on our ocean, many restaurants have done away with them. What to do? Arm your family with their own set of reusable straws. Many shapes and kinds are available, from collapsible plastic to bendy silicone (both good for kids) to glass, bamboo and stainless steel. Most come with a little brush so you can keep them clean. If every person in Florida took this pledge for just one week, we could together reduce pollution from plastic straws by approximately 2.35 million. You can even “take the pledge” here.
- Get your water bottle and skip the plastic. Yes, we know the plastic is convenient … but horrible for the environment. And why buy a bottle of water when you can get your water for free at home or a drinking fountain?
- Check out your home energy usage. Unsealed windows or an older HVAC unit maybe costing you hundreds of dollars every year (the annual electricity expenditures in Florida are $1,900, 40 percent higher than the U.S. average) in addition to potentially harming the environment. A routine maintenance check can identify how to get the most out of your HVAC system, saving both money and energy. Call your HVAC, Trust Certified experts at Lindstrom Air Conditioning & Plumbing to get started! (800) 813-1824