You can’t reduce your waste if you don’t know where you’re getting it. A waste audit is as simple as a week of tracking your trash and recyclables. Take note of what kind of items you’re contributing most to the landfill. It might be food scraps, plastic packing material, paper products or second-hand material. By watching at trends, you can choose solutions that are targeting your largest waste generators.
Certain single-use household items make it to landfill. Plastic water bottles, plastic cups and plastic bags are simple rebranding for reusables. A durable reusable water bottle, a breakfast coffee keep cup and heavy-duty cloth shopping bags will be more than worth the initial cost in the long run and avoid an immense amount of waste from going into landfill.
Even inside the kitchen and bathroom, there are the plastic wrap substitutes, food storage bag substitutes, and paper towel substitutes that you can reuse. The concept is to gradually shift so that you do not get inundated.
One of the easiest things that you can do as far as cutting down on packaging waste is buying in bulk. Rather than buying the small packets or bottles, buy the big ones that will last for a longer period of time. Dry foods like rice, pasta, oats and spices are generally bought in bulk bins by the majority of the UK zero-waste or refill stores. Fill your own containers and use them accordingly. It avoids single-use plastic as well as saves your money in the long term.
Household cleaning products can also be bought in bulk. More and more, shops now provide you with the option to top up washing-up liquid, clothes powder, and surface cleaners. These small changes avoid wastage without compromising convenience.
Household waste is predominantly food waste, but it doesn’t have to be. Compost food waste is easy and can be converted into compost to help feed plants and your garden. Fruit peel, veg peel, coffee grounds and eggshells are a good candidate to compost rather than landfill.
If you do not have a garden, there should be neighborhood compost collection schemes or even next-door neighbor compost bins that you can subscribe to, or local restaurants and cafes that take in food waste. Increasingly frequently, councils in the UK now provide food waste bins as part of their standard weekly waste collection service, so it is easier than ever before to compost.
Most homes incinerate disposable paper products daily, from tea towels to toilet rolls. Switching to other environmentally friendly options, such as a bamboo toilet roll, will also contribute. Bamboo is a rapidly renewable crop, takes less water and pesticides, and is much more sustainable than wood-pulp paper. A substitute for paper towels, you may want to experiment with bamboo kitchen rolls. It reduces waste in a number of ways because it lasts longer, breaks down biodegradably, and can be reused.
Plastic packaging is the most difficult to recycle, and almost all of it ends up in the ocean or trash. When purchasing loose produce instead of boxed produce, use your own bag or container to avoid producing plastic waste. The best place to buy fresh fruit and veg with little packaging is farmers’ markets.
When buying non-foods, buy those packaged in cardboard, glass or metal containers since they can be recycled. Saving oneself by planning the packaging to be used will prevent a lot of household waste.
With today’s instant consumption culture, there is always the inclination to replace as soon as the product starts to fail. Repair, however, is a cheapest way of preventing wastage. Repairing garments, mending tiny electronic items or re-restoring furniture provides products a second chance.
Local fix-it centers and community centers, as well as online tutorials, will teach you how to repair simple things that you use every day. Not only will this save you money, but it will also keep good things from going into the landfill.
Meal planning is a great method of minimizing waste within the house. Pre-planning what you intend to eat for the week and putting it down on paper will prevent you from purchasing more than you require. This will be less to hoard at the back of the fridge.
You may also be creative with leftovers. It is highly probable that all foods can be reduced to soups, stir-fries, or wraps. Having an additional serving in the freezer is another excellent way of not allowing the food to waste away before you have a chance to enjoy it.
Used containers of body wash, shampoo, conditioner and cleaning supplies sum up to cumulatively generate piles of trash in the long term. Refill systems are much more attractive. Body and cleaning product refill booths now occupy most grocery stores where you can fill up your bottle.
It will be beneficial to make even minor adjustments, such as switching from bars of soap to plastic bottles of liquid soap. It will save dozens of bottles of waste over the course of the year.
Perhaps the easiest ways to reduce your household waste is to purchase less to start with. Before you go out and procure something, pause for a second and consider whether you even need it, if it will ever be used, and if you can get something at less environmental expense. This not only serves the world but your wallet as well and it leaves you with a less stressful, cluttered home.
Buying quality, long-lasting products and not making impulse buys will always be a lasting way of life. It’s not a matter of doing less, but having first precedence on what matters the most.
Going green at home is not as terrifying and unnerving as it may seem. By embracing these ways to reduce your household waste at home, you can save the world while living your best life. The secret is beginning small, being consistent and choosing answers that suit you. It can be composting, bamboo toilet tissue, bulk buying or just being aware of what you are letting into your home – all these result in making fantastic change.
Eco-living will eventually become a natural part of your daily routine and you will be accustomed to the behaviors. You’ll be creating a better world and living in a working, green home.
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