What is Precycling?

Precycling is stopping waste before it happens. When you "precycle", you "think before you buy" products and their packaging. You make purchasing decisions that create less waste, make recycling easier and have fewer harmful impacts on the environment. These decisions include buying in bulk and concentrate, and buying products with less packaging. Precycling also involves "rethinking" – that is, asking yourself whether you really need to purchase an item and whether an item could be reused before you throw it away.

Why is precycling so important?

If you are not precycling, you are wasting resources and creating more waste than necessary! Over-packaged and disposable items are wasteful. However, there are alternatives to the wasteful packaging and merchandise on the market today. You, as a consumer, have the power to influence the types of products sold and the amount of waste generated in your community. Remember that today’s consumerism affects tomorrow’s environment.

How does precycling benefit me?

When you precycle, you eliminate the need to purchase items and you make buying decisions that can save you time and money. Not only will you reduce waste, you will also generate fewer recyclables!

How does precycling differ from recycling?

Precycling focuses on the first two of the "3Rs": reduce and reuse. Precycling stops waste before it is created, whereas recycling takes waste that is created and turns it into something else. Recycling is important, but it is not the whole solution to managing our solid waste.