Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Recycling is an effective and important part in being sustainable but reducing and reusing are the most effective ways to reduce waste. There are a lot of factors that go into making a new product.

Materials must be extracted, transported, then turned into the product that is being made. This takes valuable resources and emits greenhouse gases. In fact, industry accounts for 23% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Industry produces the goods and raw materials that are used daily.

Choosing to reduce and reuse creates less of a need for brand new products thus saving resources and reducing pollution. 

Discover practical ways to 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle' in your daily life and contribute to a greener planet with these effective tips:

• Use reusable bags when shopping. This reduces the amount of plastic shopping bags that end up in landfills. Another option is to see if your local grocery store has a collection bin where you can drop-off your used grocery bags where they will be properly recycled.
• Try to buy products with the least amount of packaging possible. Little to no packaging requires less raw material and results in less waste in the landfill.
• Reuse and repurpose items that you do not use anymore. Use old, tattered clothing as rags. Food containers are great for growing plants.
• Buy products that have been made from recycled materials. Check a products label to see if it has been made from recycled materials.
• Compost your food scraps. Composting is the process of turning organic waste into soil. This soil can then be used in your garden! Find out more about composting on our compost and gardening page.

• Before recycling, check to make sure it can be recycled. These products are generally good to be placed in recycling.
  • Paper/Cardboard
  • Glass
  • Aluminum
  • Plastic Bottles and Containers*
    • *Not all plastics can be recycled. Check the symbol on the container to make sure it can be recycled.
• Remember to make sure your recycling is clean and dry. Dirty items will contaminate recycling.
• Items that cannot be recycled consist of:
  • Plastic shopping bags
  • Plastic wrap
  • Polystyrene foam
  • Cups with wax or plastic coatings
• Checkout the City’s Recycling Guidelines.
• Household hazardous waste, that is any product that cannot be put in the garbage or washed down the drain, must be disposed of properly. That is because many items are toxic, flammable, or corrosive and can have negative environmental impacts. Checkout the City’s Household Hazardous Waste program to learn more.
• Electronics should also be properly disposed of. The Grand Prairie landfill will accept electronics for recycling from Grand Prairie residents. Residents may also bring their electronics to free electronics recycling events scheduled at city hall.
• Call2Recycle will provide other locations that will accept electronic recycling.
• Find fun activities you and the kids can do at home to learn about reducing, reusing, and recycling.