With all the rules about what you can and cannot recycle municipally and continued confusion about the correct way to compost, it can be difficult to stay on track when you're trying to reduce your waste. After all, the idea that one person can help solve huge problems like ocean garbage patches, overstuffed landfills, and polluted natural resources can seem idealistic, even impossible. And it may lead you to ask yourself what difference you can possibly make by reducing and recycling your waste.