When the good people at the Environmental Protection Agency get around to counting your trash, the numbers get scary. Containers and packaging are the single largest category in the waste stream, making up 31% (76.7 million tons) of total municipal solid waste (the waste that goes to the city landfill or gets recycled).

Plastic and paper are the two biggest players here, accounting for 65% of the packaging market. On the receiving end, that leads to 3.7 million tons of plastic, only 9% recycled, and 39 million tons of paper and cardboard, 59% of which gets recycled. Aluminum, steel, and glass round out the potpourri.

And what does waste have to do with climate change? Well, two things. First, all of that waste material -- the packaging, the paper, the containers -- was produced with the assistance of energy as part of its manufacturing process and, in most situations today, that means greenhouse gas emissions. Second, all that packaging means that products take up more space during transport to the store, which can lead to more fossil fuels being consumed by ships, trains, and trucks than are really needed.

The greenhouse gas statistics are about as mixed up as a landfill on a windy day, and smell just about as nice. Here are some of the factors: About 4% of total U.S. energy consumption is used to produce raw plastic materials. Metals are more likely to get recycled than glass, but just replacing the aluminum cans that don't make it back to the smelter uses enough energy to power 2.7 million American households. And these emissions don't even count the transportation emissions associated with carrying the usually over-packaged items by ship, train, and truck to your local store. Savings can be had across the board with a familiar three-step plan: reduce, reuse, recycle.

Reduce The biggest savings come when we DON'T make something to begin with. At least 28 nations have some kind of legislation to reduce packaging waste.

The biggest packaging offenders are manufacturers and retailers, and they're beginning to get the picture with rising energy prices pushing up the cost of pretty much everything. You can bring things in focus by:

  • Where possible, choose products based on economy of packaging. Look for concentrated products like soaps and detergents, products that don't come in their own serving ware (i.e. noodles in a cup), and products that are sold individually without a package (i.e. lip balms sold from a big cookie jar rather than in separate plastic containers or boxes). The Kiss My Face Lip Action sold at Whole Foods (a portion of the proceeds go to the Alliance for Climate Protection) is a good example of minimal packaging.
  • Write a quick note to the company that didn't get your business and explain why. Enclose a copy of the receipt showing the competitor's sale to make sure they get the point.
  • Buy in bulk. For example, buy produce from a big bin rather than in a plastic container of four items. Some stores sell grains, pasta, and other dry goods in bulk as well.
  • Buy larger packages with greater quantities. If you're buying non-perishables and you have the storage space, you can also buy items in larger packages. The larger the package the better the ratio of product to packaging. Plus, you will save a trip to the store and its associated fuel use and emissions.
  • Bring your own reusable bags to market.
  • Skip the new giftwrap and the gift box, if not needed to protect the contents: Reclaim wrapping paper, and for an informal gift, reuse an outdated roap map.

Reuse We know you hate clutter, but dedicate a corner of your attic or closet to keeping a second-hand collection of boxes and packing materials. It will save time, money, and reduce climate impacts.

Recycle Recycled materials typically use only a fraction of the energy needed to make the same product from scratch. In 2005, the U.S. recycled approximately 32% of its waste which saved enough in greenhouse gases to equal taking more than 10 million cars off the road. Raising recycling rates just 3% would be like taking another million cars off the road.