3 R’s & Shopping Green
A Guide to Green Shopping
By Michael Patton, Executive Director
The Metropolitan Environmental Trust, the M.e.t.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
On Average Americans generate 4.5 lbs. of
trash per day = 1600 lbs. of trash per year
Total MSW Generation in 2010
250 Million Tons (before recycling)
EPA-530-F-11-005 | November 2011| www.epa.gov/wastes
Where does your trash go?
The 3 R’s
Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

REDUCE
 Use less stuff.
 Purchase exactly
what is needed.
 Look at packaging.
 Buy in bulk.
REUSE
 B.O.B. (Bring Own
Bag
 Plastic and paper
bags
 Water Bottles
 Steel Cans
 Glass Jars
 Cereal Boxes
Minimize the bottle!
Save your money!
Americans spend about $11,000 per
minute on bottled water.
Tap water costs an average of $.002
per gallon while a gallon of bottled
water costs from $0.89 to $8.26 per
gallon.
RECYCLE
Owasso Recycling Center
 Location: 499 South Main Owasso, OK
 Phone: 918-272-4991
 Hours of Operation:
Tuesday - Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed designated holidays.
WE ACCEPT:
Aluminum
Antifreeze
Batteries
Cardboard
Cooking oil
Glass
Motor oil
Newspaper
Passenger Tires
Office Paper
Phone books
Plastics (#1 & #2)
RETHINK
Before you buy:
 Do I really need it?
 Packaging
Bulk
 Responsible Manufacturer
 How far did it travel to get here?
 Trash or Recycle
 You vote every time you spend a dollar
Recycling Reduces Energy Consumption



Making new steel from old scrap
offers up to 75% energy savings.
Producing aluminum from scrap
instead of bauxite ore cuts energy
use by 95%, yet we still through
away more than a million tons of
aluminum per year.
Paper recycling could save up to
70% of the energy needed to
create paper from new timber.
Compost Organic Waste
Compost your leaves, grass
and food waste instead of
sending them to the landfill.
Most natural garden wastes
can be composted, thus
yielding free fertilizer
without polluting the air.
Buy Local
Buy Recycled Packaging
Buy Recyclable Packaging
Buy Reduced Packaging
Every dollar I spend
is a vote for the environment.
People want to be better shoppers.





Package Material
Storage
Shipping
Reuse
Disposal
Produce Aisle
Packaging by Mother Nature
COMPOSTABLE
Fair Trade, Country of Origin and
Buy Local when available
What is Organic?
Organic food must be produced without the
use of sewer-sludge fertilizers, synthetic
fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics
and irradiation.
A variety of agricultural products can be
produced organically, including produce,
grains, meat, dairy, eggs and processed food
products.
Baskets, Bags and Trays
Bananas and Banana Bread
Meat & Dairy Aisle
Re-sealable Bag
Fresh, Frozen or Canned
Average Annual Expenditure
Meat, Poultry, Fish & Eggs
15 percent of
American’s total
food budget is
spent on meat,
poultry, fish &
eggs.
Food Institute analysis based on Bureau of Labor statistics
Use a meal
planner to
reduce waste!
Paper or cardboard
vs. Polystyrene egg cartons
 Buying in the deli allows for
portion control
 Paperboard milk cartons
vs. Plastic milk jugs
 Natural vs. Dyed containers
Bottle Grade Plastics
94 percent of plastic
bottles are #1 or #2
vs. plastic tubs.
Cereal Aisle
Cereal Boxes as Art
Box is Pure Marketing
The One Box we Read



Bag inside a Box
vs. Bag only
100% Recycled
Rising Post-Consumer
Content
Beverage Aisle
Total U.S. Beverage Consumption in 2005


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
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




Carbonated Soft Drinks 28.3%
Bottled Water 10.7%
Milk 10.9%
Coffee 9.0%
Beer 11.7%
Fruit Beverages 4.7%
Sports Drinks 2.3%
Tea 3.8%
Wine 1.2%
Distilled Spirits 0.7%
All Others 15.3%
Source – American Beverage Association
53 million plastic bottles are thrown in the trash every day.
In Tulsa, the average household buys 225 bottles of water
per year. Of those, 16 are recycled.
Snack Aisle
Chips vs. Crackers
Give Piece a Chance
Paper Product Aisle
Virgin vs. Post Consumer
 Grades of Paper
 Recycle-phobia
 Quality of Products
Cleaning/Household Products



Beware of words like
‘toxic’, ‘hazardous’,
and ‘caution’ on label
Find safer alternatives
Buy Concentrated?
Natural Drain Cleaner




1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup white vinegar
Boiling water
Pour baking soda down the drain.
Add white vinegar
 Cover the drain, if possible. Let set
for 5 minutes.
 Then pour a kettle of boiling water
down the drain.
At the Checkout
Paper vs. Plastic
Recap
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is the right order.
People who recycle create jobs.
It is not just the product; it is also the package.
Save the planet.
The Metropolitan Environmental Trust
Michael Patton, Executive Director
recyclemichael@yahoo.com
Metrecycle.com
918-584-0584
Facebook.com/theMETrecycle