Why It’s Beneficial to Reduce Waste at Home
Let’s be honest: taking out the trash probably isn’t your favorite chore — and when you’re creating needless waste, it can make trash day even more undesirable. But waste reduction at home doesn’t just make trash day less of a hassle: it also trains you to become a more mindful consumer, which can result in serious dollars saved.
Before you start your waste minimization journey, it’s a good idea to take stock of how many bags of trash you throw out in a typical week, and make a mental note about the kinds of things that are going into your trash can. Do you have lots of food waste? Toss tons of plastic cups? Forget about things until they’re expired? Whatever your bad trash habits are, vowing to create less waste will make you hyper-aware of the products — and thus, money — you’re throwing away, and give you helpful insight into how you can buy less and save more.
Easy Ways to Reduce Waste at Home
If you’re a newcomer to waste reduction, you might assume it’s something that will require a huge overhaul of your daily life. Luckily, reducing your household waste is actually easier than you might imagine. Here are some ideas for how you can reduce waste at home without totally disrupting your lifestyle.
Ditch Plastic Bags
Do you have a seemingly endless supply of plastic shopping bags stuffed away in a cabinet somewhere? Instead of continuing to accumulate pointless plastic bags, reduce waste by making a habit of taking a few reusable tote bags with you on your grocery runs.
Recycle Whenever Possible
Instead of tossing everything into one waste bin, start separating recyclable items from your regular trash. Invest in a second trash can and line it with Glad® Recycling Tall Kitchen Drawstring Bags — just be sure to check your local city or community guidelines to see how your recyclables need to be bagged and thrown out. You can even post a list of recyclable items (such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans and newspapers) above your recycling bin so everyone in your household can easily reference it.
Cut Back on Disposable Items
It might be tempting to buy disposable or single-use items for the sake of convenience, but they create tons of needless waste. Kick the habit of buying single-use things and invest in products with a longer lifespan in order to reduce waste.