Hopefully this guide has provided you with enough information about the state of our waste stream (more than you’d ever hoped to know, perhaps) and enough tips and tools to help you best manage your own contribution of trash. Of course, all the laudable personal goals of reducing, reusing and recycling are only as effective as the number of people doing them. Our waste stream presents a problem of grand scale. As such, the solution demands a widespread understanding of the issue and broad adoption of better, more efficient practices throughout the population. And with a system like recycling, the more people who do sort their trash and properly dispose of it, the more efficient the process becomes.
Nobody likes to be told what to do, and teaching your friends and neighbors how to better deal with their waste could be a bit intimidating. Most folks want to do the right thing, if they know what, in fact, the right thing is, and if it’s easy. So, the best way to get others onboard is to educate them—“Did you know that landfills are responsible for 3% of our country's greenhouse gas emissions”?—and to help make sure that the systems are in place to make reducing, reusing and recycling as easy as possible. In some cases, it’s easy to get people excited about cutting down on waste. In other cases, it hinges on the availability—and simplicity—of organized programs like curbside recycling or hazardous waste drop spots. First and foremost, make sure that you know what’s possible in your community, by contacting the local sanitation or waste management authorities and getting the full story. In many cities and towns you can find local community-based organizations that’ll deal with the waste that your public systems won't handle. Check out Earth911.org to see who’s working on what around you. After you’re fully armed with the knowledge of what’s going on in your city or town, make sure your friends and neighbors know what’s possible. There’s no need to be didactic about it—generally, presenting the facts and easy solutions will be enough. And, of course, feel free to steer them to this guide for reference.
