Five Ways to Reduce Waste at Home
Living a zero-waste lifestyle isn’t always a possibility, especially if you have a household to care for. However, there are simple things you can do to cut back on the amount of waste your family produces. Trying to reduce waste in your home can also be a valuable lesson for kids and adults to learn, as it is a lifelong skill to have. Below are five ways you can reduce your waste and live a more eco-friendly lifestyle at home!
- Learn How to Recycle
Learning how to properly recycle is one of the most fundamental steps in your quest to reduce waste in your home. So it is very important to take note of recycling best practices depending on where you live.
Each state and city has different rules regarding what they will and will not accept for recycling. Some places will only take paper and plastic, while others will only take glass and aluminum cans. That’s why you should do some research in your area to find out how much of your waste you can take to your local recycling center.
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When looking to reduce waste in your home, you may overlook something like your appliances. Older appliances are often inefficient and use a lot of resources to do their job. To help improve your home’s sustainability, you should consider replacing your oldest appliances.
If you do have older appliances in your home, it may be worth looking into a home warranty. A home warranty includes an annual contract that will cover any appliance repairs or replacements you may need down the line. This will guarantee that you have easy access to more efficient appliances once it is time to move on from your older ones.
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3. Reduce Plastic Usage
Reducing how often you use plastic is a great way to cut down on waste in your home. So many stores and companies rely on plastic for their packaging and products, so sometimes it can be hard to avoid. But there are many ways to reduce how much plastic you use on a regular basis.
Buying in bulk is a great way to avoid the abundance of unnecessary plastic packaging as well as finding some easy eco-friendly product swaps that help you achieve a lower waste home. One of the biggest and most simple swaps you can make is to purchase a reusable water bottle instead of purchasing cases of water every time you grocery shop.
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4. Find Reusable Alternatives
There are so many quality reusable alternatives to everyday items. Taking advantage of all of these fantastic products is a great way to lower waste in your household. It is now easier than ever to avoid single-use plastics and packaging.
For example, instead of buying a package of single-use plastic straws, buy a bamboo, metal, or silicone straw and just wash it after each use. Or as a substitute for plastic grocery bags, get some reusable bags made out of recycled material to use while grocery shopping.
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5. Start Composting
If you want to reduce waste in a more unique and hands-on way, composting would be a great activity to take on. The process is not very difficult, and it can greatly reduce and utilize waste you may have at home.
Not only does using food waste when composting in your garden and flower beds cut down the amount of wasted food you may have, but it also minimizes the need to use chemical fertilizer in your garden and flower beds.
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Reducing your household waste doesn’t have to be labor-intensive or time-consuming. It only takes some dedication and prior research. By replacing your less eco-friendly products and habits with more sustainable options, you can quickly create a more green home.
