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"  Consumer packaging represents 31 percent of the municipal waste stream, more than any of the products it originally carried--77 million tons of bottles, cans, cartons, wrappers and bags. While plastics like polystyrene are recyclable in principle, the energy costs are often too high for it to be practical; that means it&amp;#039;s best to avoid them up front. There&amp;#039;s also a whopping source of garbage that doesn&amp;#039;t show up in municipal data: Construction and demolition debris would add another 2.8 pounds per person per day. For DIYers, careful deconstruction and reuse of materials can help stem that flow. Before hiring a contractor to do a renovation, salvage expert Kevin Brooks recommends asking, &amp;quot;`What do you plan to do with this stuff?&amp;#039; If enough people ask that question, that will change how it&amp;#039;s done.&amp;quot; 3 Ways to Shrink Your Inorganic Waste Footprint 1. Stay Safe  If you&amp;#039;re salvaging building materials, watch for hazards like asbestos or (in pre-1978 buildings) lead-based paint. A kit to test paint costs $6 to $15 at hardware stores. 2. Tall Drink  Over 8 billion gal. of bottled water were consumed in the United States in 2006, despite evidence that it&amp;#039;s not necessarily safer than tap. Use bottle-free municipal water. 3. Better Grip  To remove nails from old wood, use a specialized tool like The Extractor. Its curved heel pries out nails without damaging the surface. In new renovations, use screws rather than nails; it will be much easier to salvage and reuse the materials next time you remodel. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a2327/4234552/>