Q&A for How to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

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  • Question
    Does composting really help the environment?
    Kathryn Kellogg
    Sustainability Specialist
    Kathryn Kellogg is the founder of goingzerowaste.com, a lifestyle website dedicated to breaking eco-friendly living down into a simple step-by-step process with lots of positivity and love. Kathryn is the author of two books focusing on sustainability, 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste and 101 Tips for a Zero Waste Kitchen. She is the spokesperson for plastic-free living for National Geographic, has been featured by the Guardian, CNN, Refinery29, and Bustle, and has a following on instagram of over 700k.
    Sustainability Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Composting is one of the most important things you can do to reduce waste. If you only do one thing to help the environment, it should be composting. Landfills aren't aerated for the proper decomposition of organics. You can compost food scraps, organic materials like cotton, hair, nails, dog hair, and even dryer lint, if your clothing is made of mostly natural fibers.
  • Question
    Where can I recycle an old computer for free?
    Community Answer
    Many computer repair shops will accept old computers for free, or even pay you for the parts. Just make sure you're clear that you don't want it repaired when you give it to them.
  • Question
    How can I reuse water?
    Community Answer
    Use water that is used for cleaning vegetables for watering plants. You can also use the water that is used for cleaning clothes for bathroom uses like flushing. Use buckets for bathing.
  • Question
    How can I recycle to prevent pollution?
    Community Answer
    Start with batteries. You can separate your batteries from the rest of your trash. Batteries are some of the worst things to throw away and can be disposed of in stores like Home Depot instead.
  • Question
    What do you mean by end-of-the-pipe treatment?
    Community Answer
    An end-of-pipe solution describes a pollution-control approach that cleans up contaminated flows of water or air at the point where that effluent enters the environment. This can be contrasted with the (often less costly) route of preventing contamination in the first place. Prevention of pollution and environmental harm is definitely a preferred method of action for both businesses and individuals but unfortunately the legislative and policy approaches of the past decades have been heavily focused on catching pollution after it has occurred instead of stopping it from even happening at all. Things are changing though, and more preventive approaches are coming on board in different parts of the world.
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