2. Packaging wastes have increased over the past few years. Chances are they will go right on increasing. One reason for this is there are more people. Also, each of us is using more packaging materials than ever before. For example, in drugstores and supermarkets we serve ourselves from racks of packaged goods. In the past, clerks sold goods from large containers. Today, we rely on the package, not the sales clerk, to sell the product. All these packages add to our solid waste problem.

3. What can we do to help? One thing is to put as little as possible into the garbage can. Little of the waste that we produce at home is saved and reused because it is more expensive to collect and separate it than to buy new products. It ’ s true that large amounts of waste is saved and reused each year, but this does not come from the home.

4. Clean waste materials that can be reused come mostly from factories or stores where such materials can be collected, stored, and picked up easily. For instance, cardboard cartons are now saved in large amounts. This is because they can be easily picked up at retail stores.

5. Another thing we can do is not to buy goods with more packaging. They cost more and produce more solid wastes. Potato chips are cheaper in a bag. Don ’ t pay extra for a box or a can if you don ’ t need the stronger package. Cheese spreads come in many forms. If you buy your cheese spreads in a can, you ’ re paying mostly for the can. You ’ re buying mostly convenience.

6. Be sure it ’ s worth the price to you. And if your choice means more solid wastes, you should be willing to pay the price of proper disposal. Think of solid wastes before you buy.

7. More than two-thirds of litter consists of old packaging. If you dispose of your wastes in the right places, you are helping to solve the litter problem. Did you know that it costs about NT$10 dollars to pick up and dispose of each item of roadside litter? That ’ s a lot of money and that money is coming out of your tax dollars.