This means that appliances would use up to 30 percent more energy if it were not for plastic insulation. Through effective resource conservation , we can minimize our impact on the planet by using the earth's resources wisely. Specific to plastics, this means using less resources to make a product in the first place. We call that source reduction. Source reduction is frequently preferable to recycling because it means conserving material, energy and financial resources - if you reduce energy requirements and material usage, lower costs will follow.
Source reduced products help keep waste from being produced in the first place.
And finally, source reduction can lessen pollution and greenhouse gases. It takes energy to produce and transport product and packaging materials. Using less energy means less fuel burned, which means fewer pollutants are released and less carbon dioxide is emitted. For example, for every seven trucks needed to deliver paper grocery bags to the store - only one truck is needed to carry the same number of plastic grocery bags. Let me give you some specific examples of source reduction.