ECO-ALTERNATIVES

ECO-ALTERNATIVES

Every product we use has a lifecycle, and a life span. Not most companies are offering to recycle their products once used. Smart, sustainable design in product manufacturing is not a norm yet, so We have to monitor our own consumption and waste habits to try limiting our support of polluting industries and contribution to ever-growing landfills.

The Green Design Institute at Carnegie Mellon University has created a chart, with comparisons between most commonly used products, their recycling rates and suggested alternative options.

MATERIAL

TIME TO DEGRADE/ SIDE EFFECTS

ALTERNATIVES

Paper	2-4 weeks	Use recycled paper and scrap paper and limit printing
Glass Containers	1 million years	Recycle or reuse glass bottles and jars
Plastic Bottles	450 years	Save money by choosing refillable versions than use and throw ones
Plastic bags and film	upto 1000 years and more	Use washable cloth shopping bags
Carpets and rugs	upto 20,000 years	Use carpets carefully, or use individual carpet tiles with recovery effort (CARE) standards
Soaps and cleaners	Toxins from cleaners contaminate water supply	Recycle plastic cleaner bottles and use biodegradable cleaners
Light Bulbs and parts	upto 1000 years and more	Use CFL/LED for interiors and Solar exterior bulbs
Mattresses	upto 1000 years and more	Buy organic mattresses or recycle old ones
Computers	upto 1000 years and more	Look for recycled content in new electronics and recycle old equipment
Cell Phones	upto 1000 years and more	Only upgrade when needed, trade old phones, give to recycle, or donate to charity