Waste Less Kids & Pets

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Kids & Pets

Kids & Pets

Kids

Be in Nature

Explore nature with your child and teach them about the importance of plants and animals and Mother Earth. This will help kids make connections about what we do at home and how the affects our planet.

Choose Durables

Cloth Diapers
Disposable diapers make 10% of Marion County’s residential curbside trash (2017). Choose reusable diapers whenever possible. While cloth diapers come with a greater initial investment, they’re much cheaper over the long haul than disposables. Companies like Smart Bottoms and Cotton Babies offer a selection of modern and fun cloth options and Salem Cloth Project is a local business that gives a portion of their proceeds to provide free cloth diapers and other resources to families in need.

Reusable Lunch Storage
Waste Less by packing your children's lunch in durable items. The company Planet Wise has a vast selection of reusable children's lunch necessities like reusable baggies. Invest in glass Tupperware instead of plastic, give your child metal or wood utensils, try to eliminate packaged snacks, and add a cloth napkin instead of paper.

Waste Less Gifts

When you have children you are given so many things. Some are helpful and others are just excess. Books from family members or long-lasting gifts like teddy bears and wooden toys are wonderful. When giving gifts, be mindful if the present is going to be thrown away or if it will be kept for years to come.

Go Package Free

Soap
Eliminate wasteful plastic packaging and choose a bar soap. Companies like Wild Carrot and Soap & Salve make some great lines of reusable and package-free organic baby soaps, balms and salves.

Snacks
Stock up on snacks in the bulk aisle to reduce packaging. Lifesource (and EarthWISE business) allows you to bring in mason jars so you can opt out of plastic bags entirely.

Baby food
Try making your own baby food by using a food mill or blender. You’ll save a lot of money, you know what ingredients go into the meal, and you’d not need to use packaging.

Pets

Buy Less

Question yourself before making purchases to see if there is a need or a want. Then, when you do need to buy, buy second hand. Freecycle, craigslist, NextDoor, and your local Buy Nothing Group are all great resources to find dog crates, beds, or carriers.

Choose Tap

Save your money and ditch plastic by choosing tap water. You can check the safety of Salem’s drinking regarding seasonal algae blooms.

Compost

Toss pet’s fur, nail clippings, and stale dog biscuits to the compost bin. Just remember pet waste should never go in compost...only the garbage “Compostable” plastic does not decompose at our commercial composting facilities in Marion County. Plastic bags (even the “compostable” plastic bags) should only go in the garbage.