Presented by Michael Patton, the Metropolitan Environmental Trust Executive Director

1. By Michael Patton, Executive Director
The Metropolitan Environmental Trust, the
M.e.t.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
3 R’s & Shopping Green
A Guide to Green Shopping

2. On Average Americans generate 4.5 lbs. of
trash per day = 1600 lbs. of trash per year

3. Total MSW Generation in 2010
250 Million Tons (before recycling)
EPA-530-F-11-005 | November 2011| www.epa.gov/wastes

4. Where does your trash go?

5. The 3 R’s
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle

6. R E D U C E
 Use less stuff.
 Purchase exactly
what is needed.
 Look at
packaging.
 Buy in bulk.

7. R E U S E
 B.O.B. (Bring Own
Bag
 Plastic and paper
bags
 Water Bottles
 Steel Cans
 Glass Jars
 Cereal Boxes

8. Minimize the bottle!
Save your money!
Americans spend about $11,000
per minute on bottled water.
Tap water costs an average of
$.002 per gallon while a gallon of
bottled water costs from $0.89 to
$8.26 per gallon.

9. R E C Y C L E
Owasso Recycling Center
 Location: 499 South Main Owasso, OK
 Phone: 918-272-4991
 Hours of Operation:
Tuesday - Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed designated holidays.
WE ACCEPT:
Aluminum
Antifreeze
Batteries
Cardboard
Cooking oil
Glass
Newspaper
Office Paper
Phone books
Plastics (#1 & #2)
Motor oil
Passenger Tires

10. R E T H I N K
Before you buy:
 Do I really need it?
 Packaging
Bulk
 Responsible Manufacturer
 How far did it travel to get here?
 Trash or Recycle
 You vote every time you spend a
dollar

11. Recycling Reduces Energy
Consumption
 Making new steel from old
scrap offers up to 75% energy
savings.
 Producing aluminum from
scrap instead of bauxite ore
cuts energy use by 95%, yet
we still through away more
than a million tons of aluminum
per year.
 Paper recycling could save up
to 70% of the energy needed to
create paper from new timber.

12. Compost your leaves, grass
and food waste instead of
sending them to the landfill.
Most natural garden wastes
can be composted, thus
yielding free fertilizer without
polluting the air.
Compost Organic Waste

13. Buy Local
Buy Recycled Packaging
Buy Recyclable Packaging
Buy Reduced Packaging

14. Every dollar I spend
is a vote for the environment.
People want to be better
shoppers.

15.  Package Material
 Storage
 Shipping
 Reuse
 Disposal

18. Produce Aisle

19. Packaging by Mother Nature
COMPOSTABLE
Fair Trade, Country of Origin and
Buy Local when available

20. Organic food must be produced without
the use of sewer-sludge
fertilizers, synthetic
fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, antibiot
ics and irradiation.
A variety of agricultural products can be
produced organically, including
produce, grains, meat, dairy, eggs and
processed food products.
What is Organic?

21. Baskets, Bags and Trays
Bananas and Banana
Bread

22. Meat & Dairy Aisle

23. Fresh, Frozen or Canned
Re-sealable Bag

24. Average Annual Expenditure
Meat, Poultry, Fish & Eggs
15 percent of
American’s total
food budget is
spent on
meat, poultry, fis
h & eggs.
Food Institute analysis based on Bureau of Labor statistics

25. Use a meal
planner to
reduce waste!

26. Paper or cardboard
vs. Polystyrene egg cartons

27.  Buying in the deli allows
for portion control
 Paperboard milk cartons
vs. Plastic milk jugs
 Natural vs. Dyed
containers

28. Bottle Grade Plastics
94 percent of plastic
bottles are #1 or #2
vs. plastic tubs.

29. Cereal Aisle

30. Cereal Boxes as Art

31. Box is Pure Marketing
The One Box we Read

32.  Bag inside a Box
vs. Bag only
 100% Recycled
 Rising Post-
Consumer Content

34. Beverage Aisle

35. Total U.S. Beverage Consumption in
2005
 Carbonated Soft Drinks 28.3%
 Bottled Water 10.7%
 Milk 10.9%
 Coffee 9.0%
 Beer 11.7%
 Fruit Beverages 4.7%
 Sports Drinks 2.3%
 Tea 3.8%
 Wine 1.2%
 Distilled Spirits 0.7%
 All Others 15.3%
Source – American Beverage Association

36. 53 million plastic bottles are thrown in the trash every day.
In Tulsa, the average household buys 225 bottles of water
per year. Of those, 16 are recycled.

37. Snack Aisle

38. Chips vs. Crackers
Give Piece a Chance

39. Paper Product Aisle

40. Virgin vs. Post Consumer

41.  Grades of Paper
 Recycle-phobia
 Quality of Products

42. Cleaning/Household Products

43.  Beware of words
like
‘toxic’, ‘hazardous’,
and ‘caution’ on
label
 Find safer
alternatives
 Buy Concentrated?

44. Natural Drain Cleaner
 1/2 cup baking soda
 1/2 cup white vinegar
 Boiling water
 Pour baking soda down the
drain. Add white vinegar
 Cover the drain, if possible. Let
set for 5 minutes.
 Then pour a kettle of boiling
water down the drain.

45. At the Checkout
Paper vs. Plastic

46. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is the right order.
People who recycle create jobs.
It is not just the product; it is also the package.
Save the planet.
Recap

47. The Metropolitan Environmental
Trust
Michael Patton, Executive Director
recyclemichael@yahoo.com
Metrecycle.com
918-584-0584
Facebook.com/theMETrecycle