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1. Say ‘No’ to To-Go Waste
Even if you’re constantly on the run, it’s possible to reduce the amount of waste you generate by packing your own reusable mug, water bottle, food containers, and cutlery. The majority of restaurant to-go containers are still made from plastics that don’t recycle easily, so they’re used once and then thrown away. Each plastic cup, fork, straw, and clamshell box costs money, and you can be sure this cost is passed onto consumers — not to mention the environmental costs of all that plastic waste.
2. Water Well
Water is a precious resource, which is often a fact overlooked in developed countries where we can just turn on the tap and get clean, safe water. However, according to a 2025 WHO/UNICEF report, 2.1 billion people globally still lack access to safely managed drinking water, and the global potable water supply is under pressure from climate change and population growth. You can decrease your water consumption by following a few simple steps.
Flush and run sparingly: The average toilet uses between 1.6 and 5.5 gallons of water per flush. If you are already “letting it mellow,” save even more water by turning on the tap only when absolutely necessary. There’s no need for the water to run when brushing your teeth, washing your hands, or doing the dishes, for example.
Make sure it’s really dirty before washing: Clothing, dishes, and your body should undergo the wash and rinse cycle only when necessary. Use the same water glass all day, and wear those jeans more than once.
3. Hang It Out to Dry
Clothes dryers are among the most energy-intensive household appliances. Most of us are not willing to give up cold milk and crisp veggies from the fridge, but we can easily use the dryer less often, which can add up to significant savings of energy and money.
As an added bonus, letting your clothes air dry extends their usable lives (it is much less taxing on the stitching and fabric), it gives you a good excuse to get outside in nice weather, and line-dried laundry smells better too! If you live in a place where drying clothes outside right now would mean wearing duds that are cold and wet, consider using indoor drying racks to accomplish the same energy-free job.
4. Lights, Camera, Out!
Many electronic devices — such as phone and camera chargers, televisions, and computers — continue to draw energy even when in the “off” position. To avoid phantom power use, unplug such devices or plug everything into a power strip you can turn off when not in use. Encourage these same practices at your workplace. And no matter where you are, always turn off unnecessary lights.
5. Be a Wise Post-Consumer
In the digital age, many of us still rely on a steady stream of paper in our offices, kitchens, and bathrooms. Here are some easy suggestions for keeping more trees outside.
Print sparingly: When you do need to hold a document in your hand, be sure it has been printed and/or copied on both sides, and of course, be sure to recycle when done.
Buy the highest level of post-consumer, recycled paper: From toilet paper to notebooks, there is rarely a reason to use virgin paper. Look for the percentage on the packaging (such as products made with 100% recycled or 50% post-consumer materials), and also look for paper that is processed chlorine-free (PCF).
Class it up with cloth: Reusable napkins are not just for fancy dinner parties. They can be washed and reused indefinitely. The same goes for old T-shirts or towels, which can be repurposed as rags and used instead of disposable paper towels.
6. Resist the Urge to Splurge
A lack of excess cash can serve as a great excuse to reduce your consumption. Here are a few suggestions to help you consume less.
Take a consumption vacation: Consider taking the day or week off from making any new purchases, with the exception of necessities such as health products and food. By doing this, you’re not only saving money, but you’re also reducing the waste created throughout the life cycle of each new product, the packaging used, and the fuel consumed and produced in transporting products from the original resources to the manufacturer to your local store.
Buy nice, don’t buy twice: For necessities, make sure that you buy the highest quality, most energy-efficient, environmentally friendly model available within your budget. From appliances (Energy Star) to food (Local Harvest), there are low-impact alternatives for almost everything on the market.
7. Bid Your Car Adieu
We are a society that loves our cars, but there are many alternatives to a day spent solo in your gas-guzzling ride. Backing out of your car rut can also provide new opportunities to socialize and get some exercise.
Get on the bus: Many cities and towns have excellent public transportation systems that include buses, subways, and trains. You’ll be surprised at the new friends you make or the added reading time you find when not behind the wheel.
Carpool with friends or co-workers: Rideshare services now make it easier than ever to find a match. Uber’s UberX Share allows passengers traveling in the same direction to share a ride and reduce costs while cutting emissions. Lyft and Waze discontinued their shared rides programs in 2023.
Get on a bike or walk: While riding your bike or walking might take a little longer to reach your destination, the fresh air, reduced carbon emissions, and the exercise more than make up for the extra minutes.
Phone it in: Explore telecommuting or teleconferencing options with your employer to significantly reduce your daily commute. According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical employer can save an average of $11,000 per half-time remote worker per year, while employees save between $2,000 and $6,500 annually from reduced commuting and related costs. Telecommuting just a few days a week will save you and your employer money.
8. Ban Planned Obsolescence
The more we view potential waste as building blocks for new products, the lower our overall impact will be. Granted, some products (“gum” comes to mind) are decidedly single-use items, but with a little creativity, many others can easily be creatively repurposed.
Originally published on April 6, 2009, article was most recently updated in January 2026.
The post 8 Ways to Reduce Your Impact Today appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/8-ways-to-reduce-your-impact-today/
Saint Augustine, in a sermon to his congregation, urged them to look beyond books, even to Bible, to see God in nature: “God, whom you want to discover, never wrote a book in ink. Instead, He set before your eyes the things that He had made. Can you ask for a louder voice than that?”
How do we move past the identity politics that dominate discourse on the left and right at this fractured moment and amount to a cacophony of special pleadings for the advantage of small groups, nations, and isolated networks? That’s why we ignore the Earth, because we cannot look up from our daily concerns. We need a new universal value that unites, one that emphasizes human dignity in the context of a restored, regenerating nature.
Earth911 inspirations. Print them, post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day.
The post Earth911 Inspiration: No Louder Voice? appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/living-well-being/earth911-inspiration-no-louder-voice/
Last Updated on February 6, 2026
Have you ever heard of Cancer Alley? It’s an ~85-mile stretch along the banks of the Mississippi River where communities exist beside ~200 fossil fuel and petrochemical operations.
Residents of Cancer Alley are exposed to more than 10x the level of health risk from hazardous air pollutants than people living elsewhere in the state. And it’s worth mentioning the residents exposed are mostly BIPOC and low-income communities.
But what exactly are petrochemicals? And how exactly do they harm both people and planet? Here’s everything you need to know.
what are petrochemical plants?
Petrochemical plants are facilities that process crude oil and fracked gas to make plastics, industrial chemicals and pesticides. They are usually located near petroleum refineries or integrated into large petrochemical complexes.
Petrochemical factories process and transform hydrocarbons into chemical products used in the plastics, textiles, automotive, pharmaceutical, and electronic industries.
Obtaining the raw materials needed to make petrochemicals is already carbon intensive – and the raw material processing these plants do only pollute further.
what is an example of a petrochemical?
An example of a petrochemical is ethylene, which is the most widespread petrochemical in the world, primarily used in the plastic industry to make polyethylene. You may know polyethylene as plastic resin #2 (HDPE – high density – used for milk jugs, detergent bottles, etc.) and #4 (LDPE – low density – used for plastic grocery bags/film).
Olefins plants (a specific type of petrochemical plant) produces ethylene. These plants use steam crackers and the energy input is considered one of the most energy intensive processes in the chemical industry.
But olefin plants are only one type of petrochemical plant. Aromatic plants produce nezene, toluene, and xylene from naphtha and other refinery streams. These make up dyes, detergents, and plastic products.
Syngas plants use natural gas or coal to generate synthetic gas, which creates industrial chemicals such as ammonia and methanol.
are petrochemicals harmful?
Petrochemicals have been linked to health problems, including cancer, according to an analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine.
That’s because to make petrochemicals, plants release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that pollute the air. Not to mention refineries and plants discharge toxins into waterways, which contributes to water pollution.
According to an Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) report, nearly 70 petrochemical companies across the nation are sending millions of pounds of pollutants into waterways each year due to weak or nonexistent regulations. And yes, it does contaminate drinking water.
Residents of Cancer Alley have experienced this firsthand. Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are present in their drinking water at levels hundreds of times higher than currently-suggested safe levels for human consumption.
And residents suffer the effects of extreme air pollution on a daily basis. Including increased risks of infertility, respiratory illness and cancer.
According to 70 interviews conducted by Human Rights Watch, women in Cancer Alley reported miscarriages, high-risk pregnancies, and poor health of newborns. Many shared stories of entire communities decimated by cancer (hence the name).
do petrochemicals harm the environment?
Yes, petrochemicals harm the environment too – petrochemical plants use massive amounts of energy to function, and in doing so, pollute the air, water and soil. Everything is intersectional.
Plus, as we transition away from fossil fuels to power our homes and businesses, petrochemical plants are becoming a lifeline to Big Oil. That’s because crude oil and gas are used to make many petrochemicals.
If petrochemical plants are allowed to grow, unregulated, there will be more consumption of oil and gas to come for decades. This directly contributes to climate change.
what is being done + how can we help?
Cancer Alley residents are fighting for reignition and change.
Sharon Lavigne, a retired special education teacher, founded Rise St. James, an organization focused on bringing environmental justice to the people of St. James Parish. The parish is located in one of Cancer Alley’s polluted hotspots, and Lavigne’s demands are far from radical. She simply wants clean air and drinking water.
Yet a lawsuit filed by the Biden Justice Department and EPA was recently dropped by the current administration.
Robert Taylor, founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John, said “…our government has abandoned us. We have been designated a sacrifice zone.”
Unfortunately, Texas recently also cleared the way for petrochemical expansion despite health warnings.
So how do we make an impact? Here are a few ways we can help:
- Reduce your reliance on plastics. Especially single-use. Here’s a beginner’s guide to waste reduction.
- Advocate for extended producer responsibility (EPR).
- Ditch banks that support the fossil fuel industry in favor of green banks.
- Support Earth Justice, which sews on behalf of the earth.
- Avoid using pesticides and advocate against their use on farms. Support local, pesticide-free farmers whenever possible.
- Invest in clean energy and green financing.
- Support community-based initiatives impacted most by petrochemical plants, such as Rise St. James and Concerned Citizens of St. John.
- Speak up and spread the word. Share this article so more people know about petrochemicals and why they harm people + planet.
How are you advocating against petrochemicals? Let me know in the comments!
The post Petrochemicals: How They Affect People + Planet appeared first on Going Zero Waste.
Back in 2020, the Recycling Partnership and WestRock released a scientific study demonstrating that used pizza boxes are recyclable, even when greasy and contaminated with cheese. Since that research was published, the findings have driven significant improvements in recycling program acceptance nationwide.
The basic results are clearly favorable for greater acceptance of pizza boxes for recycling. The typical pizza box has 1% to 2% grease content by weight, which is about one-tenth the acceptable level for cardboard (corrugated paperboard) recycling. The study looked at the impact of greasy boxes on mixed recycling loads that include 8% greasy pizza boxes with varying levels of greasy contamination from between 3% and 40%. The recycled materials produced were still viable for packaging use, well within the tensile strength required for packaging.
Recycling Acceptance Has Expanded
Since the study was released, pizza box recycling acceptance has grown substantially. According to the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), 82% of Americans now have access to a community recycling program that accepts pizza boxes—up from 73% in 2020. AF&PA member company mills representing 94% of old corrugated container consumption now accept pizza boxes with no observed impacts to operations or finished product quality.
The AF&PA’s guidance is unambiguous: “Corrugated pizza boxes are successfully recycled every day at paper mills throughout the country. Our industry wants these boxes back to recycle.”
Since about 3 billion pizza boxes are used in the U.S. each year, the improved recycling processes can capture roughly 600,000 tons of cardboard annually that could be turned into new boxes, paper towels, toilet paper, and other paper products.
What To Do Do With Your Next Pizza Box?
Our guidance is based on the research and current program acceptance:
For most Americans: Your recycling program likely accepts pizza boxes. Remove any leftover pizza, flatten the box, and place it in your recycling bin. Light grease stains are acceptable; the science confirms they don’t affect the recycling process.
If your box has a waxed paper liner, remove it before recycling: The box itself can be recycled as normal cardboard.
If your program prohibits pizza boxes: Don’t send materials your program won’t accept. Instead, check the composting options below or contact your local recycling coordinator to share the Recycling Partnership’s toolkit and AF&PA research. Citizen requests carry a lot of weight at local departments of sanitation.
If your box is heavily saturated with grease: Consider composting instead of recycling. While typical grease levels are fine for recycling, boxes that are completely soaked may be better suited for composting programs.
What About The Cheese?
You might ask, “Isn’t cheese a barrier to successful recycling?” Cheese tends to solidify and get screened out during the pulping process,” according to the 2020 report. The researchers tested sending boxes heavily contaminated with cheese through a recycling process and found that it did not significantly reduce the resulting paper fiber’s viability for reuse. Paper mills have become increasingly adept at screening out chunks of cheese during processing.
Composting: A Great Alternative
When recycling isn’t available, or your pizza box is heavily soiled, composting provides an excellent alternative that keeps cardboard out of landfills while creating nutrient-rich soil. Many cities now accept pizza boxes in curbside organics programs:
New York City requires all residents to separate food scraps and food-soiled paper from trash as of April 2025. Pizza boxes are explicitly accepted in the brown bin program.
California jurisdictions statewide must provide organics collection under SB 1383. Food-soiled pizza boxes can go in compostables carts.
Portland, Oregon updated its guidelines under the state’s Recycling Modernization Act. As of July 2025, empty pizza boxes with minimal grease are recyclable, while greasier boxes can go in yard waste bins.
King County, Washington accepts pizza boxes in composting, noting that food-soiled paper can be composted, though clean cardboard is better recycled.
For home composting, tear greasy cardboard into small pieces to speed up decomposition. The cardboard provides essential carbon to balance nitrogen-rich food scraps, improving compost quality.
How to Check Your Local Guidelines
Domino’s partnered with WestRock to launch Recycle My Pizza Box, which lets you enter your ZIP code to find specific recycling guidance for your area. The site also provides template language you can share with local recycling programs that haven’t yet updated their guidelines.
Advocate for Change
If your municipality still lists pizza boxes in the “no” pile, you can help drive change:
- Share the WestRock Grease & Cheese Study with your local recycling coordinator
- Point them to the Recycling Partnership’s free toolkit, which includes updated bin labels, mailers, and social media assets
- Reference the AF&PA’s industry guidance confirming that paper mills want these boxes back
The progress since 2020 shows that advocacy works. Communities from Anchorage to New York have updated their programs based on this research.
Eat happily—that box can become the next pizza box you receive, or any number of other paper products that keep valuable fiber in circulation.
Learn More
- WestRock Grease & Cheese Study
- Recycling Partnership Pizza Box Toolkit
- AF&PA Pizza Box Recycling Guidance
- Domino’s Recycle My Pizza Box
- The Recycling Partnership’s Community Recycling Data
Editor’s Note: Originally published on July 28, 2020, this article was substantially updated in February 2026.
The post Pizza Boxes Are More Recyclable Than Ever appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/how-to-recycle/yes-pizza-boxes-are-recyclable/
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