Introducing Waste Less Wednesdays! Pierce County is committed to sustainability education, so each Wednesday in 2021, we'll be sharing a new waste reduction tip to help residents use less and recycle right. We're calling it Waste Less Wednesdays! Tip #1 - Subscribe to our Environmental Education Newsletter to have local sustainability education opportunities and news delivered right to your inbox. And check back each Wednesday in 2021 for a new Waste Less Wednesday tip! SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://www.co.pierce.wa.us/list.aspx?ListID=414

Waste Less Wednesday Tip #2 - Please do not put your recyclables in plastic bags - they get caught in the sorting equipment. Instead, please bring them to a store that offers plastic bag and film recycling. To find the nearest drop-off location to you, visit https://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/recycling-bags-and-wraps/find-drop-off-location/.

Wasting less doesn't just apply to reducing packaging. Have you ever heard of food miles? Consider how far your food has traveled to get to your plate. Those berries from South America may be tempting in mid-winter, but your choices at the store impact the climate. *Visit eatlocalfirst.org to find local food near you! **Visit https://www.piercecountywa.gov/1561/Sustainable-Solutions-Series to sign up for our new environmental education series: Food & Our Changing Climate

Want to get outside this winter? Consider renting, borrowing, or purchasing secondhand gear. If you're getting rid of anything, try selling or donating it! OfferUp, Craigslist, and Buy Nothing Groups on Facebook are great places to find and sell gear. Click on the photo to find your local BuyNothing Group.

It's a great time to get cozy with a good book and "escape" for a while! The next time you're looking for an adventure close to home, head to a Pierce County library. Borrowing books as opposed to buying them is a great low waste and money saving alternative to buying new. They also have other sustainable options like e-books and audio books to check out.

According to waste sort data from 2018, paper accounts for 21% of the waste in our landfill! Instead of throwing it away, please recycle your paper right by following this simple paper recycling guide. Order a free magnet to help you know what goes in your reycycling cart, garbage can or to a drop off location at piercecountywa.gov/recycle..

No one likes getting bombarded with junk mail! Reduce your mail paper waste by unsubscribing from unsolicited advertising. And please remember that mixed paper, like your junk mail, can be recycled. Use the link here to cut down on the number of unsolicited mailings you receive:

Even though shredded paper is not accepted in the Pierce County's recycling program, you can minimize what you shred by only shredding paper with personal identifying information on it. Papers with basic info like name, address, phone number can be left intact and put in the recycling bin. Papers with information like account numbers, birth dates, passwords, pins and social security numbers should be shredded and put in the garbage. For more information, visit: https://www.atg.wa.gov/what-shred