Before You Recycle - Precycle

What is Precycling?
In 1989, the City of Berkeley, California started a campaign to educate their citizens about the importance of purchasing recycled items or items that were packaged in recycled or minimal packaging. They called the campaign "Precycling" and encouraged citizens to reduce waste through their buying decisions.

Precycling campaigns are now found in many communities. If you don't have one in your area, here are some ways that you can incorporate Precycling into your everyday life:

• Buy the largest size available or in bulk—this helps reduce packaging.
• Buy products with the least amount of packaging.
• Use shopping bags/containers brought from home or reuse the plastic shopping bags that you bought the items in last time. Better yet, purchase string bags to keep in your trunk for trips to the grocery store, farmers market or flea market.
• Try products packaged in refillable containers, boxes made of 100% recycled materials, or in containers that can be reused.
• Reuse all those plastic bags and containers after they've been cleaned or pass them along to someone who can.
• Avoid purchasing disposable products such as razors, diapers, plastic cutlery and plates. Choose products designed for reuse such as cloth napkins or rechargeable batteries.

Remember: Unless plastic has the recycling "triangle" on it, it's not recyclable and ends up in the landfill. (Note: even if it has the triangle on it, it will end up in a landfill unless the consumer takes it to the proper recycling facility or utilizes their weekly recycling bin.)

Here is a list of questions to ask yourself when considering making a purchase:

• Do I really need this product?
• Is the package reusable or recyclable?
• Is there a similar product available with less packaging?
• How long will this product last? Is there a longer-lasting alternative?
• Would it be better to rent or borrow this item?
• Do I need it new or can I buy it used?
• Is it made local? (Buying local reduces packaging material needed for transportation as well as reduces thousands of pounds of CO2 emissions.)

Asking yourself these simple questions can help you change your buying habits and make a huge impact on the amount of trash we send off to our landfills. Make it a challenge and try it for a month. Note the significant reduction in your volume of non-recyclable trash. Odds are, you'll be impressed and will adopt Precycling as part of your day-to-day routine.