Clothes, toys, sports equipment, furniture–all the stuff we use takes energy and resources to produce. If we throw them away when we’re done, we double down on that environmental toll by sending them to the incinerator or landfill. Waste Management hauls the Boxborough trash from our transfer station to the Wheelabrator North Andover’s waste-to-energy facility where it is incinerated and converted into electricity. Boxborough recycling items are taken to Waste Management’s Material Recycling Facility in Billerica where they are sorted and recycled.
Instead of trashing your used items, put them back into circulation where somebody else can use them. And, before you buy a new replacement, see if there is a way to borrow or buy it secondhand. Buying used items is a critical step in creating a Circular Economy because it helps drive demand for recycled or secondhand products, fueling a virtuous circle that’s better for the environment and for your wallet, too.
Need a pressure washer? Before opening your wallet and adding yet another object to your household, find out if you can borrow one from a neighbor. Growing out of an old pair of skates? Check out used items online and in secondhand stores. See “Steps to Take” for a list of vendors and websites.
Pass things on locally so that a neighbor can enjoy it.
While you’re at it, try to avoid the “free” swag given out at conferences and events like bottled water, pens, condiment packets and plastic utensils. While those things don’t cost you anything, they aren’t really free in terms of their impact on the environment. Say “No, thank you” to things you don’t need, and help stop the meaningless exploitation of the finite resources on our planet.