A Guide to Reducing Waste

I’ve spent the last few weeks working on a list of ways to reduce waste. The motivation started when I made my 2019 goal, which was to reduce waste. Then I started wondering if others are concerned about the future of our world given the drastic changes that are happening. It occurred to me that I should share the things I found, even if it only helps one or two other people.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. I’m sure there are hundreds of other things we can do (and please share, if you have something that isn’t listed here, I am all ears). But, it is a start. And the more you think about these lifestyle changes, the more you begin to examine all areas of your life. And just because you’ve done something a certain way for years, doesn’t mean that is still the best way to do it. Information is always evolving and it is our job to stay open and aware of things that will help us make a positive impact.

Here is a list of ways to reduce waste and become more aware of the types of choices you can make in the way you live your life.

Use your own containers to shop the bulk sections. If you’re using glass, check with your local stores to see if they can get a code for your personal containers so it doesn’t calculate the extra weight of your jar. You can also use mesh bags in the bulk section instead of plastic bags. If you’re making a special dish that requires just a small amount of certain foods, see if the salad bar has it, so you’re buying only what you need as opposed to a whole jar that may not get used up.

Meal plan, and try to use everything you purchase for the week. Maybe you buy ground beef and onions for spaghetti but don’t need it all. Make tacos or nachos the next night to use up the rest of the meat and onion instead of letting it go to waste! 

Buy bamboo toothbrushes (pull out the bristles and the nail that holds them in, and you can compost the handle). They make them for adults, and kids too!

Buy milk in glass containers. Yes they will charge for the deposit, but as long as you return it, you get that credit back. Sometimes this milk may cost a little more, but in the long run the price is small when you think about all the milk cartons you AREN’T using.

Reusable bags to replace Ziploc bags. Here are a few suggestions: (re)zip and Planet Wise, but there are many! I’ve also started using glass containers with lids to store just about everything I put in my fridge.

Ladies, invest in a Diva Cup (or similar). Yes there’s a learning curve, but you’ll save money AND reduce your waste using one each month when your lovely friend Flo comes to visit. 

Purchase products that were recycled or re-purposed. I found these awesome Re-Play dishes that are made from recycled milk jugs. Everlane now makes a line of products from plastic. You heard that right. Plastic. One fleece is made from 35 recycled plastic bottles. This is HUGE!! It’s the ReNew line. Eventually they want to only use recycled plastics for their polyester items and not use “new” plastic. 

Buy, and actually use, (I know that’s the hardest part) reusable grocery bags. I had them for years and it took me a long time, but I finally trained myself to grab them, and now I take them all the time unless I stop somewhere on my way home. You can even get little mesh bags for your produce so you don’t have to use the plastic bags. Cashiers always comment on my produce bags when I go through, and they are often sold in the produce department! Here is one example, but just do a search of mesh produce bags and you’ll find tons of options!

Consider a program like the Imperfect Produce subscription to help reduce food waste. That is becoming a major issue and this is a pretty easy way to make an impact. I haven’t tried anything else to compare, but Imperfect Produce lets you choose organic produce and/or regular produce. The items vary some each week, and so far I’ve been really impressed. It is also super easy to skip a week if you need to, and you can cancel at any time. Want to save $10 on your first order? Here’s a code: http://imprfct.us/lAxA1

Try a bamboo product instead of normal paper products like toilet paper and paper towels, even if you do it once every 2-3 purchases. Bamboo is very sustainable and eco-friendly. It grows really fast and often without the use of pesticides.  

Use matches instead of the plastic lighters.

Use cloth napkins.

Get a glass container for soap (regular or foaming). You can find bulk refill soap, which means less plastic per container when you are buying one to last through several refills.

Use stainless steel straws instead of plastic.

Consider a company for personal care products that sends refills instead of new containers: Plaine (shampoo and conditioner) and Myro (deodorant).

Use antique stores or goodwill to decorate your home. Many items may already come just how you need them, or you can re-purpose them! 

Use raw wrapping paper for gifts. Wrapping paper without the shiny foil can be recycled, and the only thing you need is some twine and a nice embellishment from nature, like a flower, twig, or herb. 

Try a product like Dyper (a bamboo diaper that breaks down in 75 days versus 450 years), or cloth diapers, which is a great alternative to plastic diapers.

Compostable personal care items like loofahs, brushes, and hand mitts. Check out Bestowed Essentials .  

Cancel unnecessary mail or switch to paperless billing: (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/11/how-to-stop-junk-mail_n_834088.html)

 Buy a reusable coffee mug and water bottle so you can eliminate single use cups. Seriously, this is so easy and you will prevent HUNDREDS of disposable cups from reaching landfills. We have the kid Hydroflask cups, and take them everywhere. This limits how many times our kids get cups with plastic lids/straws when we are out and about. And how many of you get coffee outside your home? I’ve switched over to using my own cups when I get coffee and I know my choice is reducing the number of cups that get tossed each day. It may be small, but it is less than when I wasn’t bringing my own cup.

One of my favorite ideas that I heard recently, is to bring your own container for leftovers when eating out, or for pickups when ordering out. It may seem strange at first, but yet again, another disposable, one-time use container will stay out of the landfills.

Consider consuming less in general. When you do have to buy something new, consider quality over quantity and choose items that will last. Did something break? Look into fixing it first, versus just buying something new right away. The tightening string on one of my mesh produce bags came loose, and the bag no longer tightened up. I was about to just toss it, but then realized if I took a few minutes, I could thread the string back through and fix it. So you know what? I got a needle and threaded it back through.

Join a group like Buy Nothing for things you no longer need, so someone else can use them versus just tossing something in the trash. 

Consider a reusable coffee filter.

Skip the sponge and use a kitchen washcloth to clean dishes. You can wash those over and over again, whereas a sponge will just get tossed at the end of its useful life.

Use wash clothes or old shirts when cleaning instead of paper towels. 

Look into a recycling program for printer ink cartridges.

Wash clothes less often when possible. Seems a bit weird, but over time it will use less laundry soap and water. I’ve really been trying to monitor this with my kids’ clothes. They do several outfit changes a day, and I used to just pick it all up at the end of the night and toss it in the dirty clothes. But now, if it isn’t dirty, it is going back in their drawers. Only items that are actually dirty, or clothes they wore out (because I am a germophobe), get added to the dirty clothes.

Buy coffee in bulk and keep reusing the brown bag or bring your own!

And really, the old saying still stands true today. Reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Reduce: Really consider if you need the thing you’re going to purchase. If you do; think about the best way to get it. Secondhand? In as little packaging as possible?

Reuse: This one will be tough for me. Over the last several years I’ve gotten so quick to toss something out if it was broken, had a hole, or was just “old.” Things can be repaired. Clothes can be sewn. Just because I’ve had something a long time doesn’t make it bad. I know there’s a line, but I want to be proud of how long I can keep something, as opposed to just replacing whenever I want to. Plus it saves money. 

At a last resort, recycle. We really can’t be sure where our recycling will end up. Yes some may get re-purposed. But some may end up in the landfill anyway. The US used to send many of our recyclables to China, but in January 2018, China tightened its requirements for what they will accept and many recycling facilities in the Northwest are feeling the backlog. Now some recycling just ends up in the landfills anyways. This was a very informative article, if you are interested in more details: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/climate/recycling-landfills-plastic-papers.amp.html

There are many steps we can take to reduce our waste impact. These are just a few. If I could make a suggestion, it would be to challenge yourself to one new change each month. Pick something that you think will have a high success rate, and incorporate it in your life. Once you’ve mastered that and made new habits, pick another change to incorporate.

And I would LOVE to hear about your journey! If you find success in reducing your waste, use #homegrownreducingwaste to tag your posts!! I’m really excited to be a part of a community of folks who care about our planet, and the livelihood of all who live here.