DON’T BUY DRINKS IN PLASTIC BOTTLES
FACT: Americans use 2.5 mln plastic bottles every year. These bottles can’t be recycled and won’t ever degrade.
WHAT TO DO: Only buy soda and other drinks in aluminum cans or glass bottles. Buy milk or juice in cartons. Then recycle them.
USE PAPER NOT PLASTIC
FACT: It takes a whole tree to make about 500 paper grocery bags. But plastic bags are worse because they can’t be recycled, and the plastic will never decompose.
DON’T THROW OLD BATTERIES IN THE TRASH
FACT: Americans throw out 2.5 bln pounds of batteries a year. Toxic chemicals in batteries can be released into the environment, especially if they are burned.
WHAT TO DO: Save your old batteries and take them to a recycling centre.
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS AND APPLIANCES WHEN YOU ARE NOT USING THEM
FACT: The electric company burns coal to produce the energy that keeps your lights on. That burning coal gives off gases that cause the greenhouse effect and acid rain.
WHAT TO DO: Turn off the lights when you live the room, and turn off the lights in the room that you really don’t need. In the daytime, sit closer to the window to read instead of turning on a light. Turn off the TV or the stereo when you aren’t watching or listening.