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Refer 5 Frederick County households to the Green Homes Challenge

Help spread the word by referring 5 of your friends, family members, co-workers, or neighbors to the Green Homes Challenge.

Click here to invite them to sign up for the Green Homes Challenge.

Use reusable bottles while on-the-go

Disposable plastic water bottles are one of the most common forms of litter, and the plastic bottle industry consumes a huge amount of energy and resources.

Instead of using disposable bottles, take a travel coffee mug to cafes and a reusable bottle to the gym, to work, on walks, and on drives. There are several options for water bottle materials, including glass, aluminum, and plastic. If you choose plastic, make sure that it is BPA-free. BPA (bisphenol a) is a potentially harmful organic compound that can leach from certain plastics. Many containers provide information on their product’s BPA content.

To learn more about the impacts of drinking bottled water, watch “The Story of Bottled Water” or this Ecobold video.

Shop with reusable bags

Each year, the United States consumes about 100 billion plastic bags made from approximately 12,000,000 barrels of oil. Most of these bags end up in landfills or in the environment, causing pollution and endangering wildlife. Reusable bags can cut back on this waste. To help yourself remember to take them to the store, try leaving a few in your car or by your front door. If you have plastic bags to get rid of, stuff them in one or more bags and tie them up. Then drop them in your recycling bin or the plastic bag recycling bins provided by many local grocery stores. For more information, check out the trailer for “Bag It,” a movie about the harmful effects of plastic on the environment.

Use wrapping paper alternatives

Alternatives to wrapping paper include the Sunday comics, reused tin boxes, a reusable canvas bag, or a handkerchief. The Japanese furoshiki is a popular wrapping cloth that is frequently used in Eastern Asia to decorate presents. Reusable baking dishes and flower pots are also eco-forward alternatives to traditional gift-wrapping. Check out some more creative ideas for wrapping paper alternatives.

Recycle using curbside pick-up or recycling center drop-off

The average American produces about 4.5 pounds of trash each day, adding up to 1.5 tons each year. Though 75% of this waste is recyclable, only 30% is recycled. Many common trash items can be recycled, including paper, cardboard, glass, and appropriate plastics. But, some items cannot be included with curbside collection, such as snack food bags, plastic wrapping material, Styrofoam, PVC, and plastics without a recycling code.

Some Frederick County renters are not eligible for curbside pick-up recycling. Recyclable items can also be dropped off at the Frederick recycling center at 9031 Reich’s Ford Road open Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For a full guide to Frederick County recycling, check out “A Citizen’s Guide to Waste Management in Frederick County.” Be sure that you don’t make any of the common recycling mistakes!

Visit LearnMoreRecycleBetter.org to sign up for the Frederick County recycling newsletter, request a free recycling bin for curbside pick-up, or upgrade your recycling bin to a larger size.

Create a recycling routine in your home in order to educate and prepare the next generation of recyclers. You can even borrow a recycling education kit for homeschooling, classrooms, scout groups, and youth groups.

Donate and purchase used items, participate in swapping, and/or borrow items

Approximately 12 million tons of textile wastes, including used clothing, shoes, blankets, and more, are generated each year in the United States. You can reduce the contribution of used, but perfectly usable, items to landfills by donating and purchasing used items, swapping, and borrowing whenever possible.

Visit a local thrift or consignment shop to find used items like books, clothes, furniture, and toys that are inexpensive compared to new purchases. Find local thrift store locations at Frederick.com. Or check out online and printed resources such as newspaper classifieds for specific items.

Donate or purchase overstocked, discontinued, and used building supplies, appliances, cabinets, windows, doors, tools, electrical items, furniture, and water fixtures at Frederick Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Consider swapping goods with friends and neighbors or online at swap.com, barterquest.com, or thredup.com.

Learn more about the impacts of buying new “stuff” by watching the video “Story of Stuff.”