Recycling Tips

• The number one tip for waste reduction is REDUCE. Before you create waste that needs to be dealt with, ask yourself if you can reduce your use.

Check to see if your community has a designated drop-off for lawn leftovers, such as leaves and grass clippings. Leave it on the lawn - use your mower to mulch grass clippings back onto the lawn as ready-made mulch. Start composting - learn how at www.saskwastereduction.ca Look for recycling programs at your favourite stores - many take back specific products related to what they already sell.

• Ditch the aerosol air fresheners - choose natural methods such as baking soda (for removing odours) and enjoy fresh flowers and herbs in your home instead.
• Consider greener cleaners - vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and more make effective cleaning agents. Find out how to mix your own solutions at the Sask. Waste Reduction Council's website
• Take your old paint to SARCAN - and maybe even pick up another colour while you're there! SARCAN offers a free paint area where you can choose a new colour to take home.
• Renovating? Don't throw it out - donate useful materials and fixtures to a "ReStore" in your community. It benefits Habitat for Humanity and reduces waste in our landfills.
• Do an energy audit on your home - find out how at Home Energy Saver or vancouver.ca
• Say it electronically - save trees and paper by sending invitations and greetings as e-cards instead of paper cards.

Got old electronic equipment? SWEEP it to SARCAN! SARCAN accepts old TVs, computers, audio and video equipment, and much more. Let your green conscience be your (shopping) guide... find out what's green in Saskatchewan at SaskatchewanGreenDirectory.org. Don't let that oil drop! If you're a do-it-yourself automotive type, make sure you're recycling your used motor oil and related items, like containers. Find out where.

• Rent it - consider renting items you use infrequently, like garden equipment or home renovation tools.
• Refill it - tote your own beverage in a reusable container or bottle, rather than buying a drink.
• Pass it on - if there are avid readers in your house, consider passing on your materials to a care home, library, or hospital.
• Offices are great for generating paper... but you can save a some by printing on both sides or printing on good-one-side paper, reusing file folders and using the back of scrap paper for memos, notes, and messages.
• Buy recycled: look for recycled content in the products you buy. Better yet, look for items that use post-consumer content, which means the item is made from materials found from community recycling programs - maybe even yours!
• When returning materials to SARCAN, please sort the containers by material type and remove all caps.

Send us your tips for recycling! E-mail us at info@saskwastereduction.ca and your tip may appear on this site.