Sometimes people don’t see the little things that make a difference. Starting to reduce waste in your own home is a great start to draw the bigger picture. There are many simple ways to reduce your waste at home that won’t use up too much of your time or your money but rather will save you that.
1. Get rid of plastic bags – This one is pretty straight forward, invest in some good quality, sturdy reusable bags. There are many that can fold up and easily fit into your handbag for an emergency run to grab groceries. Keeping a few in the car can also come in handy.
2. Start composting – You can easily set up your own composting bin at home for not much money. It doesn’t have to be big, it can be a small one but this has a big impact. Rather than throwing out your food scraps you can give it back to your garden, everybody wins.
3. Reusable containers – This is also very simple, keep your spices, pasta, rice and other ingredients in airtight glass jars. Not only do they look pretty, you are saving the planet.
4. Learn to sew – If you know how to do this then instead of throwing away clothes you can mend that little rip or that loose thread. The USA throws out over 15 million tonnes of textiles each year! Just by learning to repair them can make that whopping number decrease.
5. Cancel mail – Request not to receive junk mail and limit the amount of magazine subscriptions to sign up for. Request online copies for school news letters. This way we are saving the paper and effort it takes to get to your home and straight in the bin.
6. Ditch the bottles – Stop buying plastic water bottles, instead invest in some really good quality reusable water bottles. They make them in really cute styles so you don’t have to stick with a simple one, you can go all out!
7. Plan meals – This can reduce food waste, you won’t buy too much if you have the exact measurements on hand.
8. Buy used toys – This means you won’t have to go and invest in an expensive toy you can get for cheaper, is just as good and saves it from being thrown away.
9. Sell your stuff – If you have things you don’t want anymore, this could be someone else’s treasure. You are making extra cash for something you were going to throw away too.
10. Do it online – Have your bank statements and bills sent to you by email rather than by mail. Also Read the mail online, this way you are saving a lot of paper.