If you’re ready to adopt a “greener” lifestyle in the New Year, the Pennsylvania Resources Council – recognized as a state and national leader in waste reduction and recycling – suggests adopting the following 5 habits for becoming more environmentally friendly in 2026.
1) GET CREATIVE IN THE KITCHEN & REDUCE FOOD WASTE
Learn how to eat well, save money and waste less while preventing and reducing food waste. Simple strategies such as planning meals, freezing food before it spoils, eating leftovers, donating excess catered meals and making shopping lists can result in a significant reduction of the amount of food tossed each year.
2) ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES: COMPOST
Take part in a PRC “Backyard Composting” workshop or webinar to learn how to turn kitchen scraps and yard debris into a valuable resource for your garden.
3) PROTECT YOUR WATERSHED: INSTALL A RAIN BARREL
Rain barrels are a great way to conserve water, supplying non-chlorinated water for gardening by collecting and storing rainwater from your roof through a connection to your downspout. Take part in a PRC “Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel” workshop or webinar to learn about problems associated with stormwater runoff, discover watershed-friendly landscaping techniques and hear how to conserve water at home.
4) EXPAND YOUR RECYCLING EFFORT: RECYCLE GLASS IN PARTICULAR
Glass is amazing. It’s 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly, and recycling glass uses 70% less energy than creating glass from raw materials. In a landfill glass takes one million years to degrade – yet a glass bottle can go from a recycling bin back to a store shelf in just 30 days.
5) DON’T JUST WALK BY: FOCUS YOUR “LENS ON LITTER”
Photos help to heighten litter consciousness by showing how it threatens public health and safety, scenic beauty, property values, the environment, pets and wildlife. Since exposure leads to prevention, take pictures of blight and then organize a small clean up effort at the site.
PRC’s annual “Lens on Litter” photo contest launches in January (all entries due by October 31). Amateur photographers can win prizes of $500 in adult and student categories
PRC envisions a Pennsylvania where nothing is wasted. Visit PRC’s Resources page for a wealth of recycling information including best practices, municipal resources and online brochures.