How To Minimize Waste Around the House | A Guest Post From Kay Pascale

I am super excited to share today’s guest post with you! We talk a lot about decluttering on this blog, but we haven’t touched on the topic of sustainability as much as I would like. Today we are changing that!

Kay is going to share 7 of her best tips to minimize waste around the house. I learned something new and can’t wait to start implementing these in my own home.

Don’t forget to join the conversation and let us know which tip you plan to implement starting today!

Thanks for your advice Kay!

We’d all love to do something to help the environment, but some of us don’t even know where to start. Well, how about simply starting in your own home?

Did you know that 75% of the world’s waste is recyclable?

Taking care of our environment is more important now than ever. What’s more: there are tons of different avenues that can be taken to reduce the amount of waste in your home without putting in a lot of work.

If you’re ready to take seven simple steps to minimize waste around your house, take a look at these top tips.

Understand the Rules of Recycling

Understanding the rules of recycling in your neighborhood is integral in being able to recycle the waste that you can. Otherwise, your good-natured recycling could end up creating more waste than anticipated. In fact, there are many items that you think can be recycled that are actually not. For example, if food has seeped into the item that you’d otherwise think is recyclable, like pizza boxes, then you may not be able to recycle it.

Recycling may seem a little intimidating at first, but keep in mind that the guidelines to recycling are clearly documented online or even right on your recycling bin. You can also consider washing out plastic disposable plates and containers before putting them in the recycling bin to make sure they are absolutely recyclable. While it’s always a good idea to reduce the amount of waste in your home all around, recycling the waste you use is the next best thing.

Get Rid of Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are one of the biggest environment killers around. Between the fact that most centers do not allow them to be recycled, and how easy they are to get into our oceans and endanger marine life, it’s integral that we don’t play a role in adding to this issue. Use reusable bags whenever you can. Thankfully, due to the increasing sale of reusable bags and simply taking fruit and veggie bags with you, there’s virtually no reason to have to use a plastic bag. 

The same can be said for finding alternatives to plastic sandwich and snack bags. If you have stocked up on a number of plastic bags and don’t know what to do with them, be sure to check out your local grocery store. More often than not they have a separate recycling bin just for plastic bags.

Ditch the Disposable Plates

Between disposable plates, plastic bottles, disposable forks, and those horrible styrofoam containers, the vessels in which we hold our food can be extremely wasteful. According to House Method, one way you can minimize waste around the house is by swapping out plastic products for reusable alternatives. Use your own plates, cups, and utensils at home and consider investing in glass tupperware. It may be more convenient to use disposable plates, but it can be extremely wasteful and expensive. Try and use reusable containers, plates, and cups whenever you can. Some restaurants will even allow you to take your leftovers home in your own container.

Meal Prep as Much as You Can

Food waste plays a big role in adding unnecessary waste in your household. Try and mitigate that by shopping strategically at the grocery store. For example, only purchase what you know you will eat. You may even want to consider shopping multiple times a week, specifically for a meal you plan on making.

For those with a busy schedule or those that don’t live near a grocery store they can frequent, consider meal planning for the week or even the next two weeks. Plan your grocery list around the exact meals you plan on eating and nothing extra. Keep in mind, we tend to go a little “grocery crazy” when we’re hungry, so be sure to eat a hearty meal before venturing out to buy groceries for the week.

>> For more meal planning tips consider reading my Weekly Meal Planning Challenge!

Explore Composting

Another way to minimize waste in your home is to start a compost pile. Composting is something that may sound intimidating to many if they’re unfamiliar with the process, but if you have a garden or extra space in your backyard, then you can absolutely compost. Composting is the process of mixing together food scraps that would otherwise be wasted and using it to help fertilize your garden and landscaping. It’s a way of treating your solid waste by breaking down the microorganisms through oxygen. It can be done virtually for free in almost any household.

Get started by separating your food waste from the rest of your trash and recycling it into a separate bin. Typically, it should be composed of brown and green matter—in other words, add some fruit scraps, egg shells, dirt, and dead leaves to the pile. Add a little bit of water to the mixture and let it sit in the bin. When the material turns a dark brown, you’ll be able to use it to fertilize your garden and help the environment all at once.

Repair Rather Than Throw Out

Whether you want the latest and greatest in technology or end up splurging on a flash sale at the mall, waste comes from a lot more than our food. Take a look at the type of electronics, appliances, and the clothes you have in your home. Make a note that if they break down or start pilling, you don’t need to immediately throw something out just because it’s broken or worn.

For example, consider a fabric shaver to fix the pilling in your clothes to make them look brand new. If an appliance starts to break down in your home, use your home warranty plan to fix it as opposed to just tossing it for a new one. Not only are you helping the environment immensely by getting rid of a lot of appliances and clothing waste, but you could end up saving thousands of dollars a year.

Cancel Junk Mail

Did you know that the pile of junk mail you get every single day can be avoided? Go through that junk mail and review what you actually read or reference and put the rest in another pile. Clear out your mailbox and reduce paper waste by finding the contact information on that junk mail you receive and tell them to take you off their mailing list. You can also go online and try to cancel any subscriptions you don’t need anymore. By law, the companies you unsubscribe from or contact must stop sending you junk mail. You’re doing both yourself and the environment a favor by getting rid of some of that pesky paper waste.

Now it’s your turn! What is one tip to minimize waste around the house that you can implement today?

Let us know in the comments below!

About the Author:

Kay Pascale is a writer from Durham, NC. When she isn’t writing about sustainability or home improvement, she loves to go to the beach, travel with her family, and sit down with a good book.

Keep Reading for More Eco-Friendly Tips

How To Declutter With an Eco-Friendly Touch

25 Benefits of Decluttering Your Home

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