In 1993, the amount of energy saved from recycling metals was equivalent to 19.3 million barrels of oil, or 11.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. Have a garage sale when it's time to move. Other people may be able to reuse your old stuff, so it doesn't have to be thrown away. For those of you off campus, start a compost pile to recycle leftover food like bread scraps and fruit and vegetable leftovers. Throw away fatty foods like meat and cheese, which can create unpleasant odors and attract pests.
Phosphates ultimately can damage streams and rivers.
Instead of plastic bags, use reusable containers to store leftovers or when packing lunches. If just 25 percent of American homes used 10 fewer plastic bags a month, we'd save more than 2.5 billion bags a year. Plant a tree. Carpool to work. If every commuter car carried one more passenger, we'd save more than half a million gallons of gasoline.