August 06, 2019
The Earth is our home and we should do our best to respect it! Here are five simple tips to reduce household waste.
In the United States, we produce 230 million tons of trash each year, which translates to approximately 4.6 pounds of trash per person, per day. Below are some easy ways to cut down on your 4.6 pounds – because our landfills could afford to lose some weight!
USE REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS
This is one of the easiest ways to reduce your waste. Not only are reusable grocery bags more durable so you can fit more items in them, they can help save on costs as many retailers are starting to charge for paper and plastic bags. Additionally, they eliminate the overflowing stack of plastic bags in your pantry or underneath your sink.
COMMIT TO REUSABLE STRAWS / UTENSILS
Do you dine at restaurants that use plastic silverware? Do you take a plastic straw each day with your morning iced coffee or lunchtime soda? Investing in an inexpensive, reusable utensil set can eliminate your single-use plastics, significantly! We suggest keeping one in your purse / briefcase for when you’re on the go and one at the office for brown bag lunches.
USE CLOTH NAPKINS
If you’re like me, you’re in the habit of grabbing a handful of paper napkins at any restaurant and using that stash for your other meals throughout the week. While most paper can be tossed in the recycling, paper containing food scraps cannot, so this stack of napkins ends up in our landfill. There are many inexpensive cloth napkin options that can add a punch of color to your tablescape – buy enough for your family and just toss them in the laundry once a week!
SAY NO TO BOTTLED WATER
Carrying a refillable water bottle not only reduces the number of plastic bottles at our recycling centers and our landfills, it also saves costs and helps you stay hydrated. The water bottle industry has changed in the past five years – many water bottles will keep your water cold and ice frozen for a full 24 hours, which is a benefit plastic bottled water cannot provide.
GO DIGITAL
Many banks, credit cards, utility providers, etc. allow customers to opt in to paperless statements. Opted-in customers will receive email statements instead of paper statements in the mail, reducing paper waste. Additionally, you’ll have the ability to pay your bill online, saving postage costs! Click here for more tips on stopping junk mail.
