Erie County Government - Official website of the Erie County, NY Government
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Whether you are a responsible business owner or concerned about the amount of household waste you are creating, recycling does not stop when your blue bin hits the curb, or your commercial recycler empties your on-site bins.
Recycling includes buying products made from recycled materials, or buying products that contain some recycled content. This is commonly referred to as "closing the recycling loop." When you buy recycled products you are in effect, completing the recycling process. Buying products made from recycled materials, or recycled content products, reduces the amount of virgin materials needed to make products. This, in turn, saves energy and conserves the amount of raw materials needed in the production process.
When you buy recycled you also strengthen our economy, and create jobs by making the end use markets for recyclables stronger. So, the next time you go to the store, look for products that are marked as recycled products or as having recycled content. At the grocery store, look at the bottom of items to see if the packaging contains recycled content. Look for products that are labeled "contains XX% post-consumer content�. Also, try to buy items that limit the amount of packaging they contain, like that little toy inside a box, which is wrapped in another box that is encased in styrofoam and plastic in another box.
Business owners should also buy recycled. By purchasing recycled products your business can:
Check out Erie County's "Waste Reduction for Small Businesses." This guide can help you make environmentally friendly purchases for your business and start you on your way to better waste management practices!
You can also go to the EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) web page. Use the links listed at the bottom of this page for more information on buying recycled and recycled content products. Remember, if you are going out of your way to reduce waste and become a business, use this to your advantage when you market yourselves. For example, "Eat at Joe's, the area's only green diner."
Remember, you're not REALLY recycling unless you're buying recycled products!
Just about everybody knows about recycled paper, but did you know there are recycled product options for nearly every product you can think of? Check out the links below for recycled content products.
Real Goods - Products for the entire home for an ecologically sustainable future. Shopping "departments" include healthy lifestyles, outdoor home, indoor home, library and office, energy efficiency and gifts and toys. There are sub-categories under these categories that contain hundreds of environmentally friendly products.
http://www.realgoods.com
Eco-Mall - You will not believe how many products and services you will find on this site! The "Earth's Largest Environmental Shopping Center and Your First Stop to Shop for Green Products that are Good for People and the Environment". Shop by keywords or by categories that include 63 different headings.
http://www.ecomall.com
Gaiam/The Green Marketplace - This site offers a broad range of products to keep your body healthy, your mind clear and your spirit soothed. Check back often to browse our growing assortment of earth-friendly alternatives to everyday mainstream products.
http://www.gaiam.com/greenmarket/
Green Pages On-Line - Claiming to be the largest on-line directory of "qualified" green businesses. Search for over 25,000 products and services from 2,000 green companies.
http://www.greenpages.org
Naturalist Network: Eco-Directory - Welcome to the largest and fastest growing source of environmental companies and organizations on the web. Use the directory to find a wide range of vendors featuring high quality environmentally friendly goods and services.
http://www.naturalist.com/eco-directory/
Enviro-Shop - Products that are dedicated to people, the planet and all its inhabitants! Check out the selection of environmental and cruelty free products. You can also subscribe to "About Magazine" which contains articles and information on important issues affecting people, the planet, and all its inhabitants!
http://www.enviroshop.com
Green Culture® - Online directory of environmental products & services.
http://www.greenculture.com
Green Home - Eco-superior alternatives to products you use everyday!
http://www.greenhome.com
Green Matters - The Busy Person's Guide to Greener Living™ - Green Matters is helping busy people help the environment by making it easier to do so. Take a look at their eco-tips, action alerts, helpful hints, Q&A, on-line shopping, and their on-line bookstore at
http://www.greenmatters.com
Your information resource from the government of Erie County, New York
