Wondering how to reduce waste at home? Here is a list of easy ways and tips for reducing waste at home to live more sustainably
When you think of waste do you think of? Money? Food? Utilities? Time?
If you answered yes, you’d be correct as they are all forms of waste and all are interconnected with one another. Reducing those forms of waste might seem hard, but that could not be farther from the truth. In fact, reducing waste at home can be quite easy if you know where to start.
There are a lot of misconceptions about reducing waste at home. Some say it is not important to do while others will give the impression that it is difficult to do. Some suggest you must jump right in and go pedal to the metal or it is not worth it.
None of the above are true and in fact, reducing waste at home should be taken slow and easy to allow you and your family time to adjust to the new changes in your lifestyle. Without that adjustment period, you are more likely to fail and to fall back into habits and patterns that not only allow excess waste but almost encourage it.
How to Reduce Waste at Home
Ditch Disposables
Ditching disposable products is one of the simplest ways to reduce waste that anyone can do and it can affect multiple rooms in your home. To make things much easier on yourself replace one or two products at a time. There is no need to go overboard or excessive with replacing disposables and should only do what you are comfortable with. However, if your goal is to reduce waste in your home, keep in mind that each disposable product you replace will not only lessen the amount of waste you create but also save you money.
A few great reusable products to start with are:
- Unpaper Towels
- Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
- Using bar soap instead of body wash
- Replacing disposable razors
- Using dryer balls instead of fabric softener sheets
- Replacing sponges with rags
- Using washable mopping pads instead of disposable ones
- Cloth Feminine Pads
- Cloth Diapers
- Reusable Baby Wipes
Eat Leftovers
So many people forget that leftovers are a thing and as a result, a huge amount of food waste is created daily. This is why simply eating leftovers is such a great way to reduce the amount of food waste your family has. A lot of people think that leftovers get boring, but there are lots of different ways to jazz them up and create an entirely new meal.
If nothing else and you absolutely can not bring yourself to eat the leftovers the day after, consider freezing them in individual portions for later. To do so, simply separate them into individual sized portions and freeze them in airtight food storage containers.
Use Timers to Your Benefit
Household waste comes in a lot of forms and wasted energy and water is one of the biggest that is not directly product related. To help yourself reduce this waste, using timers can be a help. This will allow you to time things such as showers, to put lights on timers and so on. Another form of this is to use a smart device such as an Amazon Echo to program things such as lights and appliances on a schedule. By having a set program and schedule, you’ll avoid wasting money and avoid the wasted energy or water.
Drive Less
Finally, driving less and walking, biking, or taking public transportation is a great way to reduce wasted fuel in your car. Wasted fuel not only costs you excess money but also creates additional wear and tear on your vehicle. Instead, take a walk, ride a bike, call an Uber or hop a public bus or subway to get where you need to go if it is reasonable. You will not only create less waste but you will also be living a little bit more on the green side of things.
If none of those options work well for you, consider a carpool. They can be effective for people who work in the same place or for parents dropping their kids off or picking them up from school. Even just one or two other people kicking in together for a ride can save quite a bit of money in wasted fuel.
Obviously, this list of ways to reduce waste at home is only four items long which means there are a lot of additional ways you could do so. They are, however, some of the simplest ways to get started. They’re perfect for beginners and are a great reminder for those who may have forgotten the simple in favor of the more complicated. In other words, they are perfect for anyone and any home; no matter whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been working to reduce waste for years.
I hope this list of ways to reduce waste at home has helped you think of a few things you can introduce into your own home!
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