Simple Solutions

So what can you do to solve the growing landfill problem? Just take simple steps! Take notice of how much trash your family generates in a week. Is there anything you're throwing away that could be recycled? Why use plastic cups and throw them away in one use when you could just use a regular glass cup for years? Take a large cloth bag to the grocery store. You don't even have to sacrifice any style for your eco-friendly decision either; just take a look at these fashionable grocery bags:

Talk to people. Spread the word. Landfill shortages affect all of us living here in the states. Talk to your senators. Ask them questions. You can find all their contact information listed on the government website.

Buy used items, not new items. Replace the disposables with reusables (like the grocery bags above). Get rechargeable batteries. Donate items to charities, like the Salvation Army, which has locations all over the United States. Send your Christmas tree to Treecycle, which will recycle your tree and make paper out of it. Borrow books at your local library instead of buying new books at bookstores. Got an old computer? Donate it! There's a list complete with locations in which states at Share the Technology. These steps are not hard. They are just little adjustments to your life which can in turn lead to large results at the dump. Being conscientious is the best way to go.

If the people in this country don't wake up and smell the garbage, the next landfill can be right in your backyard. Harmful chemicals from all the trash could quite possibly leak into the ground below, contaminating the area for years around. We need to act to improve the way our waste management system works now, before the consequences become so severe that we irreparably damage our planet. A full report about the environmental impacts of solid wastes can be read here.