We produce far more waste than we realize during our day-to-day activities. Making dinner, doing laundry, and taking a shower all have impacts on the environment, but there are so many ways to reduce the amount of waste we create. It’s also important to know that there are several kinds of waste; more than what we just toss in the trash. So we rounded up some of our favorite eco-friendly tips and tricks for reducing our collective waste and minimizing our footprint.
Food Waste
- Start a composting bin for food scraps
- Try to meal plan and head to the grocery store with a specified shopping list to avoid buying excess food
- Store food properly to avoid it going bad prematurely, and extend its shelf life
- Learn to love leftovers
- Utilize your freezer and freeze foods than can be kept longer term, like bread, herbs, and even butter
- Try to pack lunch to bring with you on the go or to the office
- Don’t shy away from lightly damaged or bruised produce, as these “uglies” are often the first to get tossed during quality control checks
Paper Waste
- Unsubscribe from paper junk mail
- Install a bidet and try Toilet UNpaper® as an alternative to traditional toilet paper
- Choose to email receipts as much as possible
- Invest in UNpaper® Towels instead of using traditional paper towels
- Ditch single use cotton balls and opt for Facial Rounds instead
- Use newspapers to wrap gifts
- Always print double sided
- Say goodbye to single use paper coffee filters and tea bags, and swap to Reusable Coffee Filters or Reusable Tea Bags
- Bring along a Market Triangle Tote to the grocery store to avoid paper and plastic bags
Water Waste
- Turn off faucets when not in use, don’t let the water run when brushing your teeth or hand washing dishes
- Collect rainwater to water plants
- Water indoor plants with leftover water after boiling pasta
- Only run full loads of laundry or dishes
- Make the swap to a water saving shower head
- Try to shorten showers where possible
Plastic Waste
- Say goodbye to plastic wrap and try Bowl Covers for food storage
- Opt for glass packaging rather than plastic
- Make it ten times easier to skip plastic cutlery and straws when you bring your own reusable straw and bamboo utensils
- Try to purchase food in bulk when possible to reduce plastic packaging waste
- Visit a refill store or bulk bar to stock up on your favorite cleaning supplies
- Swap your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo toothbrush
- Clean and recycle plastics when possible
- Make the swap to shampoo and conditioner bars to skip plastic bottles
- Try a Moon Pad or menstrual cup instead of plastic tampons and pads
Everyone’s sustainability journey looks different; it’s all about making swaps or simple lifestyle changes where you can! By reducing your waste in even one small way, you are making a positive impact on the environment. No one gets it right 100% of the time, but it will make a bigger difference if more people are practicing sustainable habits slightly imperfectly, than a few people doing it flawlessly. What other sustainable tips and tricks do you have? Reach out and let us know! We’d love to talk.
