Reducing our solid waste is one of the key goals of the Southwest Green Building Center and really the initial passion behind opening the store.  The amount of trash we all generate, mostly in the name of convenience, is staggering.  Reducing that waste stream benefits everybody both financially and environmentally! It’s really back to the basics - Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.

Next time you ‘take the trash out’, take a good look inside.  What materials take up the most space? Is anything reusable or repairable? Can you reduce the amount of disposable products you use? Can you substitute products that aren’t available in packaging made of reusable or recyclable materials? If you are throwing away leftover products, can you give them to someone else or compost it?   Helpful shopping guidelines:

• Do you really need it?
• Buy durable products instead of those that are disposable or cheaply made – watch “The Story of Stuff” for great info.
• Repair/restore used items before replacing them.
• Buy items you can re-use.
• Buy items you can recycle locally through curbside collection or recycling centers.
• Avoid excess packaging and buy products in bulk when sensible.  Think lunchbox items!!

Southwest Green Building Center Everyday Solutions & August 2012 Specials

• Save $50.00 on either a Bio Orb or GardenWise Backyard Composter.  Now just $79.00.
• Make your next mattress an organic Savvy Rest  - they last 2-3 times longer than a conventional mattress.
• Save $1 per box on all sizes of BioBags.
• Avoid Carpet – huge item to landfill every 10 years – yowza!
• Save $5 on a Max-Air Kitchen Composter – to gather your composting for transport to the larger pile.
• Bring your rechargable batteries here for appropriate recycling.
• Composting Thermometers – only $20.00 in August.
• Complimentary “Dispose-A-Paint” packets for safe disposal of paint – while they last.