Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/90878
BY NIKKI DUCAS 3 her adult weight in garbage in their lifetime. A about what you throw away that could potentially be leaving 90,000 pounds of trash behind for your children. My family tries to eliminate post-consumer a minute and think our landfills. I buy in bulk and create my own snack packs, reducing costs and eliminating even more post- consumer trash. Plus, all that extra packaging is adding to ccording to DLCSRecycling, the throw away 600 times his or Take average American will trash by reducing the amount that we purchase in stores, reusing "previously-owned" goods, and recycling. A of typical household waste -- food scraps, yard waste, paper, cardboard, cans and bottles -- can be recycled. Here's what our family does: Go green at mealtime. I make snacks and lunches fun for my 3-year-old son and reduce post- consumer trash by placing his food in reusable food sacks and/or bento boxes. I skip the drive-thru and takeout. Those individual serving sizes may be cute and convenient, but they can add up at the cash register. staggering 84% Savvy Ways to Reduce Your Family's Footprint Plant a garden. Having a home garden can reduce the amount of Buy and sell second-hand. What may be used to you is new to someone else. Consider exchanging those too-good-to-throw-away books, toys, clothing and household items with friends, consignment shops or on one of the many on-line yardsale sites that Fredericksburg has to offer. brought home. My family has even gone a step further and cans our harvest; making salsa, jams and pickles. We also reuse canning jars annually. We recycle our meal and garden scraps into a compost to make our own organic soil. We use reusable bags, shop at farmers' markets and participate in a CSA. By making these 3 simple changes, I've significantly reduced our family's footprint. Remember the 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. post-consumer packaging that is Nikki Ducas is an environmentally-friendly mom who follows these simple tips to ensure a better tomorrow for her 3-year-old son. 20 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • November 2012