It is true that living a completely trash-free lifestyle may not be possible because garbage production tends to occur every day. Despite the fact that many people recycle and reuse items, this may only address the symptoms instead of treating the disease itself. Hence, reducing garbage production can be the most effective way of keeping your home waste-free. This article contains 8 tips that can help you to achieve this.
1- Avoid Plastic Bags
Plastic bags are not biodegradable; hence, using them increases the amount of trash in your home. A simple way to avoid plastic bags is to carry your own canvas bag when going for shopping. To ensure you don’t forget your bag when going to shop, let it stay in your car always. If you purchase items that you can easily carry without packing, avoid asking for bags. If you must use plastic bags, then find a way of reusing them. You can reuse the bags as trash storages in your kid’s room.
2- Avoid Disposable Items
Using disposable items, such as plates, cups, and other utensils, results in garbage buildup in your home. If you don’t like washing your utensils, then you will need to sacrifice a bit because your goal is to try the best you can to reduce trash in your home.
3- Repair Instead of Discarding
Repairing your items reduces trash in your home by making the items usable again. Clothes, appliances, and other items in your home can easily be repaired. If you don’t like using repaired items, then you can minimize trash in your home by purchasing high-quality and durable items that don’t spoil easily. Maintain the items properly to ensure they serve you for long. When purchasing replacement items, you can give away your old items to people who can use them. Avoid storing items that you don’t use.
4- Don’t Buy Excess Perishable Items
Groceries and other perishable foods are some of the main causes of too much trash in many homes across the United Sates. However, you can easily prevent this problem by purchasing foods that your family can eat and finish. Instead of buying foods that will serve your family for a whole month, shopping for food in bits can be a smart way of minimizing the chances of wastage. Alternatively, you can create a meal plan for your family and shop accurately according to the plan.
5- Shift to Reusable Containers
Reusable containers are a good alternative storage items. You can use them for proper food storage to ensure your food does not go bad easily. For instance, you can use airtight plastic or metal containers to store sugar, salt, beverages, and other items.
6- Minimize Your Usage
Using less ensures that very little trash enters your home. You can achieve this through the following:
- Cooking at home. Typically, ready foodstuffs come with more packaging than raw foodstuffs.
- Using smaller portions if they can serve the purpose. For instance, you can use a portion of your paper towel instead of using the entire towel. Avoid using too much soap and detergent. Some cleaners are highly concentrated and should be used only in small amounts to minimize trash.
- Replacing your trash liner only when it is necessary. Unless the liner is very dirty, you don’t have to obtain a new one every time you empty your trash.
7- Compost Your Trash
Compositing trash is one of the smartest ways of turning the trash into use, and it can significantly reduce your yard wastes. Compost makes the soil fertile while preserving the soil nutrients. Additionally, compositing can help you save money because you may not need to purchase chemical fertilizers for your garden. You can also use trash for mulching in your garden. However, you will need to ensure that the trash you use for compositing is biodegradable.
8- Borrow and Share
Do you need to purchase your own lawnmower if your neighbor is willing to lend you? If you have items that can be shared, share them with others as long as you’re not using them. Sharing also fosters a good relationship with other people, making it possible for you to borrow. You can use your local library to borrow books, magazines, newspapers, and other resources. However, borrowing may involve certain rules that must be followed. For instance, you may need to return a borrowed item on a particular date or risk being penalized.
Sources
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/reduce-home-waste_us_57912d0be4b0fc06ec5c4b56
https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/fresh-greens/2009/10/21/22-tips-for-minimizing-trash