Reducing Waste in the New Year
How are you settling into your new year? We are over a week into January and a lot of us are using this time to corral clutter, clear space, and organize for the new year ahead! This is also a great time to assess our impact on the environment and think about ways we can reduce waste. Today our contributor Myndi is sharing her simple tips for reducing waste in your home.
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Hello! I’m looking forward to sharing some simple tips for reducing waste today. As a family of four, we’re always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment and use what we have. I think back to our grandparents' generation and how differently items were consumed and used. We are in a much different world these days, with expectations that things should arrive quickly, be easily disposed of, and replaced if necessary. We can always do better and are always learning how to keep reducing and using less!
Everyday Culprits
If you’re hoping to consume and waste less, a great place to start is going through your daily routine and thinking about the single-use items you use. How could you use less? Which items are you using once and throwing away? Think about replacing these single use items with reusable ones. Consider taking a reusable travel mug to your local coffee shop. Use reusable lunch containers and bags instead of disposable plastic zipper bags. We bought our kids PlanetBox lunchboxes seven years ago and they are still going strong! We have also loved our reusable lunch and leftover storage items from Swell, Stasher, and W&P. I also replaced our paper napkins about 15 years ago with some pretty sets of cloth napkins. Two years ago we replaced our daily reliance on paper towels with some reusable, washable ones. I honestly love them more than paper towels! Some of these items require an upfront investment but are easy to use and will last a long time! Don’t feel you need to implement all changes at once. Go at a pace that works for you.
Use the Food!
Throwing away food always makes me feel bad. I always take some time in January to clean out our pantry. I take everything out and pull anything that needs to be used. I try to focus my meal planning around using what will be expiring soon. Weekly meal planning really helps keep our shopping on track and to use what we have. I generally cook for our family 3-4 times a week, giving us time on the other nights to eat our leftovers. A weekly fridge clean out on Saturday or Sunday also helps me keep on top of the things I have. If you can see it, you’re more likely to use it! Sometimes I think back to early covid days when we were limiting our trips to the grocery store. We got really creative with meals and used every morsel of food in our kitchen. It’s a good approach to keep going!
Find New Uses for Old Things
If you’re like me and have used time this month to clean closets and organize things in your house, you’ve probably come across plenty to recycle or toss. Before you get rid of anything, think about how you might reuse some items around your home. Good quality gift boxes are perfect for storing art and office supplies, kitchen items, and makeup. Home good items that you might be tired of in one room might work somewhere else. I’m constantly moving lamps, tables, and chairs around to freshen up rooms and reduce my need to go buy something brand new.
Slow and Secondhand
I used to love a trip to Target and filling my cart with some impulse buys like a cute sweater or new shirt. Last year I pledged to reduce my impulse purchases and to focus on buying fewer, quality things. Sometimes when I’m getting the itch to shop, I might fill my cart online with some things and then close the web page without buying anything! And now on those trips to Target I skip the clothing section all together. Shopping habits can be really difficult to change, but start with simple, small changes. Do a quick flip through your closet and set aside your very favorite things. Shoot for 5-7 of each item. Anything extra, consider putting away for a bit so you can focus on wearing the things you truly love. Less clothing can be so much easier! With fewer items to organize and take care of, you will appreciate your clothing more and it will honestly free up time in your life! Instead of a closet full of clothes, narrow down to your favorites. And if you need some new things, consider saving for a classic, quality item that will last and stand the test of time. Consider visiting your local second hand shops and purchasing something used or vintage. The more clothing we can keep out of landfills the better!
Give up the Plastic
Most of us carry reusable water bottles with us, but plastic bottles sneak into so many other places in our lives. Just look at your toiletries, your cleaning products, and food items. Plastic can be useful in many cases, but reducing how much we are bringing into our homes will help keep it out of landfills. We love using Branch Basics cleaning supplies in our home. We refill our bottles with our concentrate and water, reducing our need for four or five different cleaning products/plastic bottles. We refill everything from hand soap to our laundry detergent! Many beauty companies are also now selling refillable products. Look for compostable packaging too when shopping for items!
Smart Recycling
Keep toxic items out of your household trash. Check with your local community services to see what is offered in the way of electronic recycling and disposing of toxic household materials. It’s really important we dispose of these things properly to keep our communities safe!
Mindful Living
My goal in the new year is to continue cutting extras, buying less, and using every part of the things we purchase. We can always do better! I’m pledging to be a little choosier with what I bring into our home and to really consider things in a mindful way.
Special thanks to Myndi for sharing her ideas today! We’d love to hear from you too! What are your tips for reducing waste at home? Tell us in the comments!