7 simple ways to reduce waste in your home

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Reducing the waste you produce regularly is essential to keep the environment clean. Not only will it save you money, but aiming to reduce waste in your home will also preserve resources. 

If you’re dipping your toes in the zero waste movement, read on to discover seven simple ways to reduce waste in your home and in so doing reduce your carbon footprint without compromising healthy living. 

1. Create a Meal Plan

The first step in creating a meal plan is writing a grocery list. This way, you’ll only purchase products you’ll use, thus helping reduce waste

Additionally, setting up a meal plan will reduce takeouts. If you think about it, takeouts come with many disposables such as plastic cutlery and paper bags. Creating a meal plan will help you reduce the number of disposable products in your home. 

Besides minimising waste production, having a meal plan also saves you cash on food expenses, which is a bonus. 

2. Recycle

To start recycling, you must first find out how recycling is handled in your locality. Do they need you to use different materials, or can they all be put in the same container? Is recycling part of garbage collection, or are you required to drop your recyclables at a designated location? 

Once you learn about all the recycling regulations in your area, you can begin recycling in your house. The three significant recyclables are glass, plastic, and paper products. 

There’s a learning curve associated with recycling; however, once you’ve grasped the fundamentals, it becomes second nature. 

3. Shift to Reusable Products

Plastic waste is hurting the earth and oceans. A recent study indicated that the number of plastic bags used yearly in Australia is 6.9 billion. Only 10% of Aussies recycle their plastic waste. Shifting to reusable products eliminates the need for plastic.  

Here are some of the ways you can reduce plastic use: 

  • Purchase cloth shopping bags
  • Always carry reusable coffee mugs or water bottles
  • When eating out, ask for reusable cutlery
  • When carrying food, use reusable containers

Reducing plastic use is a simple and efficient way to minimise waste in your home. Once you purchase reusable products, you’ll even save cash. 

4. Compost Waste

Composting is an easy waste disposal solution if you always throw food in the bin. Rather than throwing leftovers, put them in a compost bin. 

A compost bin disposes of the food waste organically and safely. Once the natural process occurs, you can use the compost as fertiliser in your kitchen garden. And before you send waste to the compost waste, consider other uses for too – for example, there are plenty of uses for coffee grounds which we outline here.

5. Go Digital

If you still pay your bills using checks and you receive paper statements, it’s time to reduce your paper trail by going digital. 

In this digital era, there’s no need to have paper copies of each transaction you make. Instead, you can store all your essential documents on your computer. Ensure you back up your device regularly, so you don’t lose your documents. 

Each time you go through your mailbox, record what you receive. Contact the firm involved and go paperless if you don’t receive your monthly statement. 

If you still get paper mail, ensure you shred and recycle the paper. You can also add shredded paper to your compost bin to reduce waste. 

6. Repurpose Items

Just because an item is no longer useful doesn’t mean you should throw it out. You can repurpose almost all items you dispose of. 

Rather than throwing away old clothes, you can use them as rags. If you don’t need rags, you can put your sewing skills to good use by transforming the clothes into a quilt or a new outfit. 

If you’re bored with your house furniture, purchase some new accessories or paint and spruce it up. This process is known as upcycling. One of the best places to get upcycling concepts and inspiration is Pinterest. 

Nevertheless, there are items that, try as you may, you can’t salvage. If you have such items and don’t know the best way to dispose of them, you can opt for rubbish removal with 1300 Rubbish services. 

7. Make DIY Cleaning Products

Conventional cleaning products are an often overlooked waste source. Cleaning products usually come in single-use plastic containers. 

A simple way to avoid having these wastes in your homes is to make cleaning products yourself. Rather than using paper towels and cleaning wipes, you can repurpose old clothes into cleaning rags. 

When you make your detergents, store them in reusable containers. These DIY cleaning products reduce waste and save money as you don’t have to purchase branded detergents. 

Bottom Line

Now that you know how to minimise waste in your home, it’s time to implement these practices. You can start with the most achievable task and build up as you get accustomed to these new practices.

When minimising waste production, even the slightest change makes a big difference. Being conscious of your waste production is the beginning of your eco-friendly journey.

Image by rawpixel.com

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