Being celebrated as Earth Month, April is the perfect time to reflect on our relationship with the planet and the impact we have on it. For this reason, we’ll talk more about sustainability, food waste, and going green for the whole month.
While the idea of living a more sustainable lifestyle may seem overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, there are many simple steps that anyone can take to reduce waste and live a more eco-friendly life.
So if you’re just starting your journey towards sustainable living, here are ten reduce waste examples that can make a big difference in creating a more sustainable world.
Top 10 Reduce Waste Examples
These tips will help you make positive changes for the planet while still enjoying a fulfilling and comfortable lifestyle. At the same time, they will help you save some money which is pretty much always welcome. So, let’s get started.
1. Reduce Your Food Waste
Did you know that food is the largest part of household garbage sent to landfills? Reducing your food waste would automatically result in reducing the overall municipal solid waste. It’s a simple yet very effective way to positively impact the environment and combat climate change.
Fortunately, there are many simple steps you can take to reduce your food waste at home. Some examples include planning meals in advance, only buying what you need, storing food properly, using up leftovers, and composting food scraps. By making these small changes, you can save money on your grocery bill, help the planet, and even enjoy some delicious new recipes along the way.
2. Buy Funny-looking Produce
When seeing blemished vegetables, bruised fruits, or items with weird sizes, shapes, or colors, our first impression is that they have gone bad. This is why we often avoid them, making suppliers throw them away and contribute to a global mountain of food waste.
But just because they don’t have a perfect shape or color doesn’t mean they are not tasty or healthy. Besides, most of them don’t even keep their original texture or appearance when used in cooking. Plus, they are usually cheaper, so buying them will help you save some money while educating your kids that food comes in different sizes and shapes.
3. Use Reusable Bottles/Cups
Single-use plastic bottles and cups contribute to the growing plastic pollution problem. Therefore, switch to reusable options to reduce your plastic footprint and conserve resources. Instead of bottled water and disposable coffee cups, consider reusable water bottles and travel mugs.
In addition to being more eco-friendly, they will save you money at the end of the day, eliminating the constant need to buy disposable versions. And if you get a double-insulated bottle, you can use it for both cold and hot beverages.
4. Use Reusable Bags
Millions of plastic bags end up in landfills daily, taking hundreds of years to decompose. In the process, they release harmful chemicals and harm wildlife. But it’s time to stop the plastic madness and start using reusable bags when buying everything, from groceries and clothing to household goods and books.
These are even better than paper bags because they help reduce waste and save money simultaneously. So get yourself a reusable folding bag and take it everywhere with you. It’s best to buy a few of them and keep one in your car, purse, and pocket. This way, you’ll always have a bag close to you and won’t have to worry about forgetting it in your home.
5. Avoid Disposable Cutlery and Takeout Trays
Items like disposable cutlery, coffee pods, and takeout trays may be convenient, but they generate tons of unnecessary waste. Instead, take real silverware when eating outside, especially if you know that the place where you are headed doesn’t have reusable cutlery.
Another thing you can do is bring your own container when opting for takeout. By bringing your reusable cutlery and containers, you can significantly reduce your waste and help to preserve the environment. At the same time, you’ll save money.
Many eco-friendly alternatives to disposable cutlery and takeout trays are available, such as bamboo or stainless steel utensils and glass or metal containers. The decision is all yours.
6. Buy Secondhand Clothing and Sell Old Wares
Buying secondhand clothes is good for the environment for several reasons:
- It reduces the amount of textile waste that ends up in landfills;
- It reduces the need for additional resources used to produce new clothing;
- It’s an affordable and sustainable alternative to fast fashion.
Besides buying secondhand clothing, you should also consider selling your old wares. Today, plenty of apps and services have made this process simple and easy. Besides clearing up your crammed wardrobe and helping reduce waste, it’ll also help you make some extra cash.
7. Ditch Kitchen Disposables
Plastic wraps, straws, zip-lock bags, paper towels, and tin foil are some of the most common disposables we use in the kitchen every day. But they end up in our landfills and oceans after the briefest of use, contributing to air pollution and climate change. Sure, they are convenient, but the damage they cause in the long run is irreparable.
Investing in durable, long-lasting products like cloth napkins and beeswax wraps can reduce your reliance on single-use items while also helping you to save money. You can also use washable dishcloths and scrubbers instead of disposable sponges, silicone baking sheets instead of parchment or tinfoil, reusable lunch containers instead of plastic zip bags, etc.
By making these small changes in your daily routines, you can make a big impact on the health of our planet!
8. Clean Out Your Inbox
Wondering why cleaning out your inbox is among our top reduce waste examples? For starters, it’ll help you avoid seeing all those promotional emails from retailers trying to make you buy something you don’t even need. Even though it may take some time to unsubscribe to them, it’ll help you avoid spending temptations.
Another reason why you shouldn’t ignore your mountain of emails is to save the planet. Believe it or not, virtual messages stored in your inbox are using up energy. So cleaning up your inbox will help reduce your electricity consumption and carbon footprint. Basically, it’s killing two birds with one stone!
9. Buy Everything with Less Packaging
Oversize packages seem to be cheaper, so we often end up buying them without thinking it through. Even though the price can be very appealing, it’s only worth it if you use it up entirely before it expires. Hence, you should only consider buying in high volume if the product has a long shelf life.
Instead, try to buy everything with less packaging or go for eco-friendly options. This way, you won’t have to throw away produce and a bunch of cardboard boxes, thus avoiding producing unnecessary waste which can end up in landfills and oceans. Besides, many products with excessive packaging are often made with non-renewable resources like plastic, further contributing to environmental degradation.
10. Recycle Correctly
Recycling will help you reduce waste in landfills by giving second life to old items. However, it’s essential to do this correctly, which means understanding what you can and cannot recycle in your local area.
Common materials that can be recycled include paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, glass bottles and jars, and certain types of plastic. But, these materials should be clean, dry, and free of food waste or contaminants before recycling. Items that typically cannot be recycled include plastic bags, styrofoam, and certain types of plastic, like plastic wrap and utensils. They should be disposed of in the trash or taken to a recycling center that accepts them.
To Sum Up
If we all implement at least one of these reduce waste examples in our everyday life, we could contribute to creating a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world. At the same time, we’ll save money and use it more wisely.Speaking of saving money, you can also use Pawns.app. The app lets you sell your unused bandwidth and get some of your money back. Taking online surveys on the app can help you earn even more, so it’s definitely worth considering it!
