How to reduce waste

I wanted to create a list of things that aren't going to be too much effort. These are things that are merely swaps for what you're already doing. Kind of like a slight mindset shift that can, in the long run, have a huge impact on your own environmental footprint.

No matter what your political views are, the fact of the matter is that we can't keep continuing to create the amount of pollution and waste that we are and expect nothing to happen to the environment. Our waters are getting dirtier and dirtier, animals and dying because they're eating trash, there are islands of plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean, and the list goes on. This isn't by any means meant to scare you, it's just to help us all understand that we can leave a lasting and positive impact.

1. Starting with a bang: water.
Maybe you don’t think you waste a ton of water but I’m willing to bet there are ways you can cut back. Do you leave the water running when you wash your face or brush your teeth? Do you let the shower heat up for a good five minutes before jumping in? Do you flush the toilet 1359832 times a day? Start by being more aware of your water use and do what you can to cut back!

How to Reduce Waste at Home

2. Bring your own bags to the grocery store.
Now that I walk to the grocery store, this has actually been pretty easy and is part of my routine. I just grab my totes and go! If you don't walk to the store, my best advice is to keep some in your car, some by your door, anywhere that will remind you to grab one on the way out! My mom unloads her groceries in the kitchen and then leaves the empty bags by the door so she can grab them and put them in her car on the way to work.


3. Get a reusable water bottle.
This is probably the #1 thing I talk about most. You probably know that I always (and I always) carry around a reusable water bottle. Not only does it help me stay more hydrated on the go, but I'm also reducing the amount of plastic water bottles that are being added into our world.

As I'm sure many of you know, plastic water bottles are SO wasteful! There are so many alternatives to choose from – I personally like to use this one from Klean Kanteen because it's easy to drink out of, comes it a ton of fun colors and is insulated to keep my water super cool and refreshing! If your reason for drinking bottled water is that you prefer filtered water to tap water, get a filter for your tap or invest in a filtration system! Your water will taste just as good (if not better) than your bottled water.

4. Buy recycled/biodegradable versions of your kitchen staples.

I didn’t think about this much until recently, but probably nearly every household in this country keeps things like aluminum foil and parchment paper on hand. While we might not think that adds much waste, it's just another thing that we're tossing in the garbage that isn't biodegradable! Well…there's a solution!

5. Meal plan!
Could you see this one coming? I dove into this more in detail in this post but meal planning helps me so much with food waste! I know what I need to buy to get me through the week so I don’t have a ton of vegetables or herbs that go unused at the end of the week. For more info on meal planning, check out this blog!

6. Cancel junk mail.
I’m talking about the physical mail, not your email… Did you know you can stop all of that unnecessary mail from loading your mailboxes? Each company will vary but typically you can simply go online or give them a call to ask them to stop sending you mailings. On that same note, you can opt-out of paper receipts at most stores but also for recurring bills like car insurance, rent, etc.

7. Ditch the paper towels.
I 100% understand the love of paper towels. I feel like I never knew the state of my kitchen towel (what had it been used to clean up, is this towel that I’m using to dry my hands even clean, etc.) until I had a system in place. I now have a towel designated for drying hands, one for wiping up any/all messes and counters. Full disclosure: I still do keep paper towels on hand just in case there is a mess that requires it (Trevi, looking at you) but I rarely use them!

8. Skip the Ziplocks.
Another item that most of us likely use all the time are plastic zip bags. From storing sandwiches to packing up snacks to carrying dog treats around (yep, that's me!), these baggies are everywhere. And they're plastic and they're not recyclable or really that reusable. So rather than buying box after box of those flimsy plastic bags, invest in an alternative: silicone bags!


9. Compost.
I don’t know why I was intimidated by composting for so long. There are a ton of city resources for composting – a lot of cities have composting bins similar to recycling and trash bins and there are companies popping up that will come to your door to pick up your composting. Do a quick search for “composting in [your city]” for more information on what’s available to you. You will typically get a composting bin and a guide for what can and cannot be composted. Composting made easy!


10. Be mindful of how much you’re driving!
Are you close enough to walk or bike to work, events, stores, hangouts? Take the extra time to get some fresh air and make an impact on this world. If you have to drive to get basically anywhere, try to make your appointments or errands near each other so you can make one big trip instead of a bunch of little ones.

You have probably heard of composting before, but what is it exactly? Composting is a natural way to recycle decomposed organic materials. This process of decomposition creates compost, or rich soil.
Once-living organisms will decompose into compost. Composting organic waste at home will return nutrients directly back to the soil to support the “circle of life,” as nature intended.

CA.GOV DEFINES COMPOST AS,
“The product resulting from the controlled biological decomposition of organic material.”

WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO COMPOST YOUR WASTE, YOU CULTIVATE A NATURAL, CONTROLLED PROCESS THAT CONVERTS ORGANIC MINERALS INTO MICROORGANISMS.

Statistics estimate that regular composting at home can remove roughly 500 pounds of organic matter, a.k.a. household waste, each year. This simple act directly benefits the environment by redirecting and repurposing waste once sent to landfills or incinerators.