6 Sustainable Habits to Reduce Waste In Your House

There is always room for improvement when it comes to taking care of the planet, and an excellent place to start is in the comfort of one’s own home. 

You can significantly reduce your impact on the environment (and possibly your wallet!) by cutting down on trash with a bit of planning, thought, and creativity.

Do you feel like your life is cluttered with disposable stuff? You’re not the only one who feels this way. Here’s how to reduce waste—and save time and money doing it!

Replace With Reusables

When attempting to reduce your waste output, the first habit to develop is regularly question the items you toss away. 

Consider the disposable razor you’re now using to put things in perspective. It’s essential to think that there has to be a better option. 

There are reusable safety razors on the market that you buy once and then simply replace the blades, significantly reducing plastic waste. 

Another good example: if your child enjoys drinking from a straw, you may purchase high-quality reusable straws. The same thing goes with napkins. 

Create a supply of linen napkins that you may use and then wash as needed. When you notice that you’re tossing anything out frequently, consider what it is and whether there is a reusable version that you could substitute it with.

Composting

Composting is the next habit to develop. If you compost, you already know the benefits, and if you don’t, it’s so simple to get started! 

A significant portion of what you throw away could be composted and returned to the earth every day. 

You can quickly start a compost that will feedback into your garden if you have a bin and some extra space. 

Your excess food will not waste. Your garden will be nutrient-dense, and you will feel better about your environmental impact.

Packaging Waste

When you’re shopping, a great habit of getting into is to look for products that have clever and environmentally responsible packaging. 

We advise you to keep your spray bottles, clean them out and reuse them for your cleaning products, but you can’t really do that with laundry detergent. Why not try switching with laundry detergent strips? The laundry detergent strips are super easy to use. Just simply tear them off and add them to your machine’s drum. 

These are great because they reduce packaging waste. Still, they reduce carbon emissions in transport by 94% because of how slim and compact the product is. As a bonus, there are no liquid or powder messes. Amazing!

First In, First Out FIFO

The following habit is a principle known as FIFO—First In, First Out. This principle is applied in accounting, food management in grocery stores, and restaurant management. 

The idea is that the item(s) that enter your home is also the first to leave, reducing spoilage and waste. How does this work? 

When putting groceries in the fridge, keep older items in the front and newer items in the back to remind you first what you need to use. 

This is a great habit to adopt in your own home because it reduces waste and saves money!

Upcycling

Another habit of considering is thinking of garbage and recycling as a last resort for anything you’re trying to get rid of. 

We’re not suggesting that you keep every yogurt container entering your home. There’s a good line between upcycling and cluttering your home! 

What we mean is that before discarding an item, consider whether there is a higher and better use for it. Is it possible to repurpose it and use it differently in your home? 

Is there anyone you know who might benefit from it? Finally, is it possible to sell or donate it somewhere? Pillows, blankets, towels, and children’s clothing are a few examples. 

Bottom line: find a higher and more practical use for things whenever possible to keep them out of the waste stream.

Alternatives To Plastic Bags

Finding alternatives to single-use plastic bags will become mandatory soon. Whether it’s reusable produce bags or reusable shopping bags, or simply avoiding bags in general, now is the time to start. 

Do it when you only buy a few items and can carry them in your hands! This can genuinely save your home from many bags week after week.

Want to reduce your waste but not sure how? You can follow the simple tips above to make a big difference in your waste output. 

If you pay for garbage collection, this will save you a ton of money. Also, we all know that trash, especially plastic waste, is a big world problem right now. 

Fortunately, we can make a difference! Change starts with you. 🙂