This question crossed my mind recently, “what if every piece of trash I threw away followed me through-out the day?” Since then I have been more conscious of the amount of waste I’m producing. Below I have listed some ways that you too can reduce your waste and negative impact on the environment.
1. Cut out single use
Some simple alternatives to items we use once and then throw out are:
- Bring a spoon or fork with you in your bag/backpack.
- Bring reusable bags to the grocery store.
- Use a stainless steel lunchbox.
- Avoid plastic straws and disposable plates.
- Store foods that need to be refrigerated in reusable containers and dry goods in mason jars.
- Reusable water bottles and coffee mugs.
2. Only buy what you need
This seems like a no-brainer but food waste is a huge problem and this is a great reminder for me when I’m shopping. Only buying groceries I know will get eaten and finishing up any items completely before buying more can reduce food waste tremendously. Something else to keep in mind is that a lot of Farmer’s markets have bulk aisles. This allows you to bring your own reusable containers to purchase bulk and will eliminate items that come in plastic packaging.
3. Start a compost bin
Compost is nature’s fertilizer and it’s a great way to nurture your garden and avoid chemical fertilizers. Set aside a bin where you can throw scraps of green waste which includes fruits, vegetables, egg shells, and coffee beans (which will help with any odor.) As well as brown waste which includes shredded paper, cardboard, dead leaves, and wood shavings. Your bin should have equal parts green and brown waste and should be put outside so you can water it and let it get some sunshine. Every few weeks give it a turn with a shovel and you will have organic fertilizer to feed your garden and you will be reducing your waste. It’s a win, win!
4. Recycle
If you end up using plastic, which can be hard to avoid at times, just make sure to recycle. Find out the rules for your specific area and which plastic to completely avoid, as some will not be accepted at recycling centers. This is the next best option to reusable packaging and can help avoid waste being sent to the landfill.
These are some simple steps to get you closer to a zero-waste lifestyle. I will expand on this further in a future post as I am experimenting with this to see what works best! As always, I would love to hear any feed back or other ideas. We are all in this together and we only have one planet. Let’s do everything we can to keep it beautiful.