Less Money, Less Stuff, Less Waste

There is one positive thing about a weak economy…less waste!  The Tampa Tribune wrote an article about how the landfills are receiving less waste and the idea that the weak economy could be a reason.  It makes since, we’re buying less stuff therefore we have less stuff to throw away.  Not only are we buying less but we are using what we already have.  I know our family is more thoughtful about how we dispose of things we no longer need.  There is someone out there who can use our trash (most of it at least).  We’ve been using sites like Freecycle and Craigslist more and more.  And the items that I don’t think will go on those sites I take to the local Salvation Army.  The county we live in reported a 16% decrease in the waste received at their solid waste landfill for 2008.  Sometimes a weak economy can have positive impacts on the environment and the way we take care of our belongings.