How to Reduce Waste
Buy in bulk., Shop for durable products., Look for items at second-hand stores., Borrow, rather than buy., Bring your own bags with you to the grocery store., Repair items, rather than replace them., Take your lunch to work in reusable containers...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Buy in bulk.
Bulk products usually have less packaging and wrapping, and you also save money by buying bulk.
Packaging makes up 30 percent of the weight and 50 percent of trash by volume for most products.
Look for bulk items made of recycled content, especially for products such as toilet paper, tissues and napkins.
Be aware of double packaging, even for bulk items.
Some “bulk packages” are individually packaged items that are packaged again and sold as “bulk.” -
Step 2: Shop for durable products.
Look for items that will last for years, rather than disposable or cheaply made products.
This could mean going for a more expensive clothing item, rather than fast fashion items that will fall apart in a few weeks.
Skip disposable razors, a big waste culprit, and invest in a reusable shaving razor.
Go for rechargeable batteries, or plug-in appliances, and reusable items.
Avoid buying individually packaged items, such as candies, chocolate bars or even to-go snacks.
The amount of waste these products create outweighs their convenience.
Try not to shop spontaneously for items you may not need.
Before you buy an item, consider how often you will use it and how long it will last.
Investing in quality products means less waste and less trips to the store., One person’s waste could be someone else’s treasure.
Second-hand stores are a great way to purchase household items free of packaging or wrapping.
You can also find great used and unused clothing at a low cost to you and the environment.
Look in your closet for clothing you haven’t worn in the last year.
Rather than throw the clothes away, donate them to second-hand stores or thrift stores.
You could also throw a clothing swap party with friends to encourage some friendly barter and trade for used goods. , Whenever possible, look for reusable options before you buy anything new.
This could be borrowing tools from your neighbor or renting tools or supplies from a store, rather than spending money on a new item., Keep a few cloth bags in the back of your car or stashed in your purse so you have them ready when you go shopping. , If you already own an item but it's in need of repair, bust out your toolbox and give it some tender loving care.
Replacing the item means the broken item will become waste and end up in a landfill. , Take-out containers are often made of styrofoam or plastic, waste that is hard to break down and can't be recycled.
So skip the take-out meals and take your lunch to work in Tupperware.
Not only will you cut down on waste, you will also save money on lunch every day. , Use cloth dishrags instead of paper towels or swap paper napkins for cloth napkins.Create a recycling area in your kitchen.
Rather than throw out your bottles, cans and plastics, set up blue and green recycling bins in your home, next to the garbage.
This will encourage members of your household to recycle on a daily basis.
Look for ways to reuse empty jars and bins in your kitchen.
Rinse out empty glass jars from your mustard or your pickles and use them to hold kitchen utensils or dry food items.
Replace hazardous household cleaners and products with safer alternatives.
Make your own household cleaners using baking soda, water and vinegar.
Olive oil with lemon juice is a good alternative to furniture polish.Scented candles, especially ones made from soy, are a good alternative to plug in air fresheners. , Food and yard waste account for about 11 percent of the garbage thrown away in most mid-sized U.S. cities.
Composting scraps and waste is a great way to dispose of them in an eco-friendly way.Find a dry shady spot near a water source.
Add brown and green materials, such as leaves, twigs and grass clippings, to the spot.
Shred or chop any large pieces.
Moisten the dry materials with water as they are added to the pile.
Alternatively, you can use a round or square bin if your backyard isn't big enough for a large pile.
Be sure to add dirt to the bin first before you add brown and green materials.
Once your compost pile is established, mix more grass clippings and green waste, such as fruit scraps and coffee groups, into the pile.
Bury fruit and vegetable waste under 10 inches (25.4 cm) of compost material.
You can also cover the compost with a tarp to keep it moist.
When the material at the bottom of the compost is dark and rich in color, your compost is ready to use.
This usually takes anywhere between two months to two years.
If you have a wood-burning fireplace in your home, save the ashes in a tin rather than throwing them out.
Cold wood ashes can be mixed into your outdoor compost heap and add valuable nutrients to your garden. , If you don’t have the outdoor space for a big compost pile, compost indoors using a special compost bin.
Look for this bin at your local hardware store or gardening supply store, or make one yourself.Make sure you have an even amount of green material, such as vegetable waste, fruit scraps and coffee grounds, in the compost bin.
Add water to keep the compost moist.
Tend to the compost and keep track of what you throw in there.
A properly managed compost bin will not attract pests or rodents and will not smell badly.
You should be able to use your indoor compost in two to five weeks. , The average American resident receives more than 30 pounds of junk mail per year.
That’s a lot of waste! Sign up for a mail preference service for $1 every five years to reduce the junk mail you receive from advertisers.Sign up for e-billing with your bank, credit card company, internet provider and utility companies.
Avoid getting paperless bills when possible, especially if you can use online banking to pay for these bills. , Appliances that operate on batteries will likely have a short life span, and disposable batteries will be discarded after one use, adding more waste to your local landfill.
Rechargeable batteries, while more durable, are the largest source of cadmium in municipal waste streams.
So stick to plug-in appliances, rather than appliances that use disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries, whenever possible. -
Step 3: Look for items at second-hand stores.
-
Step 4: Borrow
-
Step 5: rather than buy.
-
Step 6: Bring your own bags with you to the grocery store.
-
Step 7: Repair items
-
Step 8: rather than replace them.
-
Step 9: Take your lunch to work in reusable containers.
-
Step 10: Make your kitchen paperless and more eco-friendly.
-
Step 11: Set up a backyard compost.
-
Step 12: Set up indoor composting.
-
Step 13: Reduce the amount of unwanted mail you receive.
-
Step 14: Use plug-in appliances.
Detailed Guide
Bulk products usually have less packaging and wrapping, and you also save money by buying bulk.
Packaging makes up 30 percent of the weight and 50 percent of trash by volume for most products.
Look for bulk items made of recycled content, especially for products such as toilet paper, tissues and napkins.
Be aware of double packaging, even for bulk items.
Some “bulk packages” are individually packaged items that are packaged again and sold as “bulk.”
Look for items that will last for years, rather than disposable or cheaply made products.
This could mean going for a more expensive clothing item, rather than fast fashion items that will fall apart in a few weeks.
Skip disposable razors, a big waste culprit, and invest in a reusable shaving razor.
Go for rechargeable batteries, or plug-in appliances, and reusable items.
Avoid buying individually packaged items, such as candies, chocolate bars or even to-go snacks.
The amount of waste these products create outweighs their convenience.
Try not to shop spontaneously for items you may not need.
Before you buy an item, consider how often you will use it and how long it will last.
Investing in quality products means less waste and less trips to the store., One person’s waste could be someone else’s treasure.
Second-hand stores are a great way to purchase household items free of packaging or wrapping.
You can also find great used and unused clothing at a low cost to you and the environment.
Look in your closet for clothing you haven’t worn in the last year.
Rather than throw the clothes away, donate them to second-hand stores or thrift stores.
You could also throw a clothing swap party with friends to encourage some friendly barter and trade for used goods. , Whenever possible, look for reusable options before you buy anything new.
This could be borrowing tools from your neighbor or renting tools or supplies from a store, rather than spending money on a new item., Keep a few cloth bags in the back of your car or stashed in your purse so you have them ready when you go shopping. , If you already own an item but it's in need of repair, bust out your toolbox and give it some tender loving care.
Replacing the item means the broken item will become waste and end up in a landfill. , Take-out containers are often made of styrofoam or plastic, waste that is hard to break down and can't be recycled.
So skip the take-out meals and take your lunch to work in Tupperware.
Not only will you cut down on waste, you will also save money on lunch every day. , Use cloth dishrags instead of paper towels or swap paper napkins for cloth napkins.Create a recycling area in your kitchen.
Rather than throw out your bottles, cans and plastics, set up blue and green recycling bins in your home, next to the garbage.
This will encourage members of your household to recycle on a daily basis.
Look for ways to reuse empty jars and bins in your kitchen.
Rinse out empty glass jars from your mustard or your pickles and use them to hold kitchen utensils or dry food items.
Replace hazardous household cleaners and products with safer alternatives.
Make your own household cleaners using baking soda, water and vinegar.
Olive oil with lemon juice is a good alternative to furniture polish.Scented candles, especially ones made from soy, are a good alternative to plug in air fresheners. , Food and yard waste account for about 11 percent of the garbage thrown away in most mid-sized U.S. cities.
Composting scraps and waste is a great way to dispose of them in an eco-friendly way.Find a dry shady spot near a water source.
Add brown and green materials, such as leaves, twigs and grass clippings, to the spot.
Shred or chop any large pieces.
Moisten the dry materials with water as they are added to the pile.
Alternatively, you can use a round or square bin if your backyard isn't big enough for a large pile.
Be sure to add dirt to the bin first before you add brown and green materials.
Once your compost pile is established, mix more grass clippings and green waste, such as fruit scraps and coffee groups, into the pile.
Bury fruit and vegetable waste under 10 inches (25.4 cm) of compost material.
You can also cover the compost with a tarp to keep it moist.
When the material at the bottom of the compost is dark and rich in color, your compost is ready to use.
This usually takes anywhere between two months to two years.
If you have a wood-burning fireplace in your home, save the ashes in a tin rather than throwing them out.
Cold wood ashes can be mixed into your outdoor compost heap and add valuable nutrients to your garden. , If you don’t have the outdoor space for a big compost pile, compost indoors using a special compost bin.
Look for this bin at your local hardware store or gardening supply store, or make one yourself.Make sure you have an even amount of green material, such as vegetable waste, fruit scraps and coffee grounds, in the compost bin.
Add water to keep the compost moist.
Tend to the compost and keep track of what you throw in there.
A properly managed compost bin will not attract pests or rodents and will not smell badly.
You should be able to use your indoor compost in two to five weeks. , The average American resident receives more than 30 pounds of junk mail per year.
That’s a lot of waste! Sign up for a mail preference service for $1 every five years to reduce the junk mail you receive from advertisers.Sign up for e-billing with your bank, credit card company, internet provider and utility companies.
Avoid getting paperless bills when possible, especially if you can use online banking to pay for these bills. , Appliances that operate on batteries will likely have a short life span, and disposable batteries will be discarded after one use, adding more waste to your local landfill.
Rechargeable batteries, while more durable, are the largest source of cadmium in municipal waste streams.
So stick to plug-in appliances, rather than appliances that use disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries, whenever possible.
About the Author
Julie Harvey
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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