Waste reduction (or prevention) is the preferred approach to waste management. If it is not created, it does not have to be discarded.

An example of waste reduction is buying an item with the least amount of packaging - paper and plastic shrink-wrap. If the paper and plastic are not used in the first place, we do not have to be concerned with collecting and separating it for recycling, breaking it down, transporting it to manufacturers, and then integrating the recycled materials back into the manufacturing process.

Waste reduction is one of the key things we can do to help conserve resources and create a cleaner environment.