Whether we admit it or not, we produce a huge amount of waste just by living—even when we just stay at home.
We eat food, we buy gadgets and clothes, and we make sure we live in houses that have everything we need. All that contributes to the world’s waste problems one way or another.
Have you noticed just how much packaging comes with the items you buy from the groceries? Or perhaps the items you ordered from Amazon or Ebay? Did you just merely throw out all the clothes you no longer felt like wearing?
In more ways than one, you have a waste footprint.
But there are simple ways to reduce in, not immediately but gradually. The 10 simple tips to help reduce your home’s amount of waste are listed down below and they’re quite simple.
1. Bring Your Own Reusable Bag
The easiest way to reduce your own waste footprint is by bringing a reusable bad whenever you’re out to buy anything—may it be consumable or not.
When you bring your own bag, you avoid bringing home any kind of bag that store uses. It might not seem like a big deal, but you’ll start to notice a gradual reduction in the number of plastic bags you throw away.
2. Plan Your Meals
One of the best ways to reduce your waste is by planning out your meals. Here, you’re practically reducing your potential food waste because you know exactly what it is that you’re going to cook tomorrow or the day after.
This helps you prepare for the type of bags you need to bring to the grocery and how many you would need. Moreover, having weekly meal plans also prevent you from buying things you don’t actually need.
No more throwing out vegetables that only wilted away.
3. Buy in Bulk
It’s quite inevitable that you’re going to need items that come in plastic packaging. When you’re left with no choice, it’s best to buy in bulk.
Once you do, you’re only buying the things that you need. If you have connections to organizations that accept empty bottles or other forms of plastic, don’t hesitate to give your bottles instead of throwing them away.
4. Go for Refills
A lot of zero-waste stores are on the rise and most of them provide refills for items like pasta, spices, and other foods you can think of.
Take advantage of these and bring your own containers. That way, you won’t have to worry about throwing away their packaging since it did not come with any.
5. Refrain From Take-Out Deliveries
A sneaky culprit to a home’s huge volume of waste is take-out deliveries. Obviously, these food items come in a variety of packaging to allow transport from the restaurant to the customer.
Instead, make the food you’re craving for at home. It’s not just healthier, but it’s also a good way to save.
6. Say No to Single-Use
This isn’t just limited to straws but to everything else. People often buy stuff but only use it once. This habit increases your tendency to throw away things because you find that it’s no longer useful for you.
Therefore, when you’re thinking about buying something, think about the times and opportunities you’re going to use it so that you won’t have to waste money, as well.
7. Stop Buying Unnecessary Stuff
At this day and age, everybody probably knows how to order things online. On top of that, there are already way too many products that aren’t really necessary for day-to-day living.
A way to reduce your waste is to simply stop buying unnecessary stuff. If it’s not going to make your life reasonably easier, then it’s not necessary.
8. Compost Food Waste
Composting is one of the best ways to turn your organic waste into something more valuable. You’re giving back what you took from nature in the most eco-friendly way. Through composting, you’re helping your plants grow healthily.
However, this doesn’t mean that you’d go crazy on food waste. It’s just a great option should you have inevitable scraps.
9. Learn How to Reuse and Upcycle
Given that you’re transitioning to a lifestyle with lesser waste, you’d probably find a lot of items in your house that no longer serve you. However, don’t throw these precious items away.
Look up on the internet on how you can reuse or upcycle the items that you’ve found. You might be surprised at how useful the items still are.
10. Resist Trends
Lastly, resist the trends that you see on social media. You don’t need to buy the newest clothes if you still have wearable ones at home. You don’t need the latest phone if yours still works perfectly fine.
Resist that catchy advertising you see from time to time because this is one of the main factors that make you buy items that come with a lot of waste.
