11 Simple Tips to Reduce Your Household Waste

Do you want to learn how to leave a smaller environmental footprint? Then begin at home. Reducing the amount of waste your family produces is one of the simplest methods to lessen your environmental impact.

While some families aim for a completely waste-free existence (generating a mason jar or less of waste each year), this may involve such radical adjustments that you end up having to deal with a family uprising. Fortunately, there are still plenty of simple methods to improve your home and cut down on waste without drastically altering your way of life. Additionally, these small adjustments have to endure throughout the entire year.

Keep reading to learn about simple changes you and your family can make to produce less household waste all year round.

11 Steps to Making Your Home Zero Waste

You don't have to stop buying items or do without in order to reduce your household waste. Simply choose to reduce your waste.

For instance, substituting reusable items for single-use ones can help you minimize both your waste and your spending. That might be very important for retirees living on a fixed income.

1. Swap Plastic Bags for Reusable Cotton Shopping Bags - Reduce the quantity of plastic bags that go from your trash can to the landfill as one of the first stages in your journey to a zero-waste household. To achieve this, replace single-use plastic bags with reusable fabric ones. You can use them to carry your book and towel to the beach in addition to using them as excellent supermarket bags.

2. Replace Plastic Wrap and Sandwich Bags With Better Alternatives - Plastic wrap is one of the single-use household items that frequently gets tossed. The good news is that there are many better alternatives. For example, you could invest in a few cloth bowl covers, which are great for leftovers, and beeswax wraps to wrap around food products, like sandwiches. (Bonus: Beeswax-coated cloths keep food fresh longer!) You can buy these online or, if you’re handy with a sewing machine, make them at home.

3.  Say Goodbye to Paper Towels and Tissues - Paper products account for 23% of landfill waste, according to the EPA report cited above. While your family probably won’t embrace reusable cloth toilet wipes, it’s pretty easy to replace paper towels with cloth kitchen towels. While you’re at it, it might be time to rethink your tissue use. As long as you wash them after use, hankies are a great alternative.

4. Buy Food Staples and Supplies in Bulk - Buying in bulk means you’re using less single-use packaging, like plastic and Styrofoam containers. It also typically results in fewer trips to the store and more money left in your bank account at the end of the month.

5. BYORC: Bring Your Own Refillable Containers - The one downside of the bulk-foods section is that it encourages using plastic bags to store each type of food. You can cut down on this waste by storing bulk foods in refillable glass or plastic containers, such as mason jars. Just don’t forget to bring them with you to the store, and make sure you don’t pay extra for the weight of the container.

6. Choose Digital Over Paper Products - Another way to reduce the amount of paper your family wastes is to choose digital over print whenever possible. While you can choose to buy the Kindle edition of the latest book by your favorite author, it’s especially important to do so for your weekly newspaper and monthly magazine subscriptions.

7. Opt-in to Receive Paperless Statements - If you haven’t already done so, ask to receive paperless statements and bills from your service providers. Many financial institutions now offer paperless credit card, investment, mortgage, loan, and line of credit statements. Utility and telecommunication companies similarly send bills and usage statements through email.

8. Say No to Disposable Beverage Containers - Another easy way to start working towards a zero-waste home is to avoid buying drinks in disposable plastic or Styrofoam containers. Instead, choose reusable water bottles for cold drinks or travel mugs for hot beverages.

9. Bring Your Own Reusable “Doggy Bags” for Restaurant Leftovers - Enjoy a dinner out but couldn’t finish your meal? Many restaurants still offer to package up your leftovers in Styrofoam containers so you can enjoy the rest of your meal at home. To avoid accumulating more trash, bring along a reusable plastic or glass container to store your leftovers until you’re ready to eat the rest of your meal.

10. Donate or Exchange Unused (or Gently Used) Clothing and Household Goods - Whether you’re downsizing or doing a big spring clean, hold off from tossing your unwanted clothing or household goods. If they’re unused or still in good shape, you can donate them to a local charity.

11. Compost Your Scraps - Instead of throwing your coffee grounds, eggshells, and vegetable peelings into the trash, consider composting them. It’ll help you take big strides toward your goal of becoming a zero-waste household. Plus, you can use the resulting soil in your backyard garden. If you don’t garden, check with your regional waste-management facility to see if you can contribute your compost to a local community center.