Tag Archives | reduce waste

How to Reduce Your Household Waste and Be More Eco-Friendly in 2021

Although the complications associated with the COVID-19 pandemic may have held you back from achieving your resolutions for the past year, there’s no reason why you can’t set some new goals for 2021.

That’s especially true if your resolutions are home-related, since we’ll probably be sheltering in place for some time to come. While the home improvement industry grew by 5.5% in 2019, the need for Americans to stay home to stop the spread of the coronavirus has many of us fixating on how to make a number of property improvements.

But keep in mind that renovations aren’t the only way to get more out of what you have. If you’re determined to lead a greener lifestyle in the new year, you might want to start by reducing your household waste. With climate change continuing to worsen, it’s up to each individual to make positive changes to help the planet. Fortunately, these adjustments may have a relatively minor impact on your everyday life — but they can be significant for our environment. Here are just a few ways you can reduce your household waste and become more eco-friendly in 2021.

Install (or Overhaul) a Septic System

Homeowners need a reliable way to process their wastewater. Typically, you’ll have one of two options: connecting to a public sewer or utilizing a private septic system. More than 21 million U.S. households use septic systems, which are inherently more eco-friendly than sewer systems because they treat wastewater in a natural way. They also recycle water and can replenish water tables while benefitting local plant and wildlife. They’re typically pretty durable, as well, which means less material needs to be wasted on repairs or replacement.

However, proper installation and maintenance are key. Whether you’re making the switch to septic or you’re trying to make your current system more eco-friendly in the coming year, you should opt for trenchless repairs (which causes less harm to the environment) and follow all recommendations for proper use to avoid backups. You should also have routine maintenance performed and pump your tank regularly to ensure your septic system continues to run smoothly. While this won’t necessarily reduce how much wastewater needs to be cleaned, it can ensure that cleaning is more efficient and that you won’t have to waste resources in unnecessary ways.

Always Opt For Reusable Options

This might go without saying, but single-use items — like plastic bags, paper towels, cellophane, and plastic water bottles — represent a lot of waste. Eliminating or drastically reducing your use of these items in 2021 can help you keep a lot of garbage out of local landfills. There are plenty of reusable alternatives out there, like beeswax food wrap or reusable grocery bags and towels, that will give you more for your money and help you reduce the amount of garbage you produce. Don’t forget to snag some reusable insulated water bottles to start your new year out right!

Shop in Bulk When Possible

Packaging is a huge source of waste, but it feels inescapable when you shop online or at conventional grocery stores. Consider buying foods and personal care products in bulk whenever you can and supply your own containers or reusable bags. Buying in larger quantities can allow you to save money and stock up while creating a zero-waste experience. That said, don’t be tempted to buy things you don’t need (especially if they expire quickly!). Buy in bulk only when you know you’ll use the items and that they won’t be thrown away.

Start a Compost Pile or Bin

Food scraps and spoiled food represent a large percentage of household waste. But there’s a lot you could be put to better use in your garden. Make a resolution to start a compost bin or pile in the new year, as this will allow you to reuse unused produce, coffee, eggshells, and many other kinds of waste as fertilizer. Although most lawns require one inch of water each week, composting can really make your yard look its best. Plus, it’ll allow you to grow food right at home, which can often be less wasteful than buying items at the grocery store. Just make sure to research the items that can be safely composted before you begin.

While you might not be eager to set any goals for the new year, leading a less wasteful life can be its own reward — even in the midst of a pandemic. With these tips in mind, you can eliminate wasteful habits and reduce your environmental impact — all without disrupting your routine.

How to Reduce Waste this School Year

How to Reduce Waste this School Year

Back-to-school time is a lot like Christmas—there’s excitement, stress, and a lot of buying. Most parents with school-aged children have spent a small fortune on school supplies and snacks at the beginning of the year only to discover a mountain of barely-used pencils and notebooks at the end of the year—not to mention a car littered with fruit snack wrappers. As parents, we lead by example, and the practices we employ today will rub off on our kids. Here are 4 simple ways to reduce waste this school year and set a green example for your kids.

#1 Avoid Buying in Bulk
Those bulk packages of pens, notebooks, snacks, and juice boxes are tempting, but the truth is that many of these products are sold cheaply in bulk because they’re unhealthy, cheaply made, or don’t follow environmentally-friendly productions standards. Instead, compile a list of everything you need based on all your kids’ school supply sheets and look for supplies that are made from recycled materials or that can be recycled or refilled later. As far as snacks, shopping locally for healthy fruits and veggies and setting aside a couple hours a week to bake a batch of granola or whole grain muffins to send the school will ensure that your kids eat healthy without creating a ton of trash.

#2 Use Resusable Lunchware
The average American family creates 4,320 pieces of unnecessary lunch waste, mostly plastic packaging. That adds up to a lot of trash in the landfills and ocean with a lot of dollars down the toilet. Instead of buying pre-packaged snacks and milks and sending lunches to school in brown bags and plastic baggies, purchase non-toxic, reusable lunch boxes and snack cups for your kids to take lunch to school in and send water and milk in stainless steel bottles. Throw in a cloth napkin and reusable cutlery and you’ll eliminate ALL of the 4,320 pieces of lunch waste your family would normally produce!

#3 Choose Minimally Packaged Products
When possible, buy notebooks and supplies that don’t come in plastic wrappers or extra boxes, which are totally unnecessary. Every piece of non-degradable plastic trash that you throw away ends up in a landfill or adding to the island of trash in the ocean.

#4 Green Your School Commute
A great, easy way to reduce your carbon footprint is by having your kids walk, bike, or ride the bus to school. Walking or biking will give kids a little exercise to boost their energy and sharpness before class and let them enjoy the outdoors at the same time. If safety is a concern where you live, walk or bike your kids to school instead of driving them, or see if another student who already walks to school has a parent who can tag along.

What are some simple ways your family has reduced waste during the school year?