Welcome to the Eighth Annual ULS Day, which will be held on November 21, 2002! The date (the Thursday before Thanksgiving) is significant because it inaugurates the high-waste holiday season. During the five weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's, Americans produce an extra one million tons of trash per week, compared to any other time of the year. (You can also view and print our press release -- it's in PDF format.)
The idea behind ULS (Use Less Stuff) Day, founded by The ULS Report, is to bring waste prevention (or source reduction, as it is formally known) to the forefront of public consciousness, during the holiday season and throughout the year. Recycling gets a lot of attention, and although its importance cannot be understated, reducing waste in the first place (using less stuff) is still the number one priority in the war on waste. If we are to significantly reduce pollution and waste, we must emphasize source reduction. (Remember that "reduce" is the first R in the EPA slogan, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!")
Although Americans continue to recycle at higher rates, the massive amount of trash sent to landfill sites continues to grow. In 1970, we recycled 7% of our garbage and sent 113 million tons to landfills. Today, we recycle about 27%, but we still throw away over 150 million tons. Thus, to save resources and energy, we must learn to not create so much waste in the first place, by reducing and reusing products and packaging.
ULS Day provides communities with the opportunity to be part of a proven public education program that will showcase waste prevention accomplishments and possibilities. Our eclectic group of 300+ sponsors both internationally and nationwide includes the U.S. EPA and Keep America Beautiful, Inc., demonstrating the depth of interest in an environmental effort that is attracting significant media attention and public support.
As with recycling, source reduction can be practiced effectively on a corporate, community, or personal level. It helps the environment, but it can also be financially rewarding. If you simply use less stuff, some good things will happen. For one thing, you'll save money every time you shop. Also, your town will save money. That's because the cost of preventing waste is zero, while the cost of recycling, not to mention landfilling, can be very expensive. Thus, prevention means more money for important services such as education, crime prevention, road maintenance and human services. Source reduction therefore plays a major role in efforts to develop a sustainable society, one that makes efficient use of resources while minimizing impact on the environment.
The success of ULS Day in its first three years underscores the freshness of the waste reduction message. We must all learn to use less stuff, and with the mounting support of government, non-profit organizations, business and the public, awareness of this vital issue will continue to grow dramatically.
This year, to help you reduce waste we're publishing Have A Low Impact Y2Kristmas . You can also get your community into the act with a few additional ideas as well as our ever-popular 42 Ways to Trim Your Holiday Wasteline. And here's a great way for schools to participate -- setting up a waste free lunch program.
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