reducing waste

Recycling, while a pivotal advancement in the materials management industry, is still a resource intensive process. The best solution? To not even need to recycle. That’s where reducing waste comes in. — Recycling, while a pivotal advancement in the materials management industry, is still a resource intensive process. The best solution? To not even *need* to recycle. That’s where reducing waste comes in.

Why should I reduce waste?

We’ll be the first to tell you that landfills are safe and reliable solutions to managing garbage. That doesn’t, however, mean that they are the best solutions. By reducing the amount of garbage we put out at the curb every week we will be conserving valuable natural resources that we and others rely on daily. Additionally, it will likely mean healthier habits in our every day routines. From the food we eat to extra cash we spend, what we throw away can be connected to every facet of our life.

So, what’s the best way to figure out if you’re able to reduce waste? Probably to just give it a shot!

KEEP YOUR FOOD SCRAPS OUT OF THE GARBAGEYou don’t have to landfill food scraps. You can compost them in your very own backyard. This is important because when food waste ends up in a landfill it decomposes anaerobically (that means without oxygen) a… — **KEEP YOUR FOOD SCRAPS OUT OF THE GARBAGE**
You don’t have to landfill food scraps. You can compost them in your very own backyard. This is important because when food waste ends up in a landfill it decomposes anaerobically (that means without oxygen) and creates methane gas. Methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Food waste, also referred to as organics, make up 25-30% of the waste stream. By composting you could divert a significant amount of material from the landfill destination, while also helping to mitigate your personal contribution to climate change. Learn how to start a backyard compost here.

COLLECT AND SAVE PLASTIC BAGS AND FILM FOR RECYCLINGPlastic bags and film are recyclable, but NOT IN YOUR CURBSIDE CART. If you put these things in your recycling cart, they will end up being landfilled. If you want to recycle bags and film they mus… — **COLLECT AND SAVE PLASTIC BAGS AND FILM FOR RECYCLING**
Plastic bags and film are recyclable, but NOT IN YOUR CURBSIDE CART. If you put these things in your recycling cart, they will end up being landfilled. If you want to recycle bags and film they must go to a specified collection location, which these days is most grocery stores. It’s very important that the bags are **clean and dry.** You can find a location near you, and details on what is acceptable, here.

STOP BUYING DISPOSABLE BEVERAGESWhen you know you’ll be getting coffee out, or thirsty in the middle of the day, take a thermos or water bottle with you. Coffee shops will fill your own to-go cup so you don’t have to take a disposable one. Coffee cu… — **BRING YOUR REUSABLE BEVERAGE CONTAINER**
When you know you’ll be getting coffee out, or thirsty in the middle of the day, take a thermos or water bottle with you. Coffee shops will fill your own to-go cup so you don’t have to take a disposable one. Coffee cups and lids *are not* recyclable…so this is a great byproduct to avoid. Additionally, water is often available everywhere. As long as you have a vessel for it you should be covered on the hydration front.

REDUCE = REFUSEIt can be hard to say no, but to recognize that we don’t need something before letting it into our lives can be the best way to minimize the waste we are creating. Whether it’s a “want” more than a “need,” it’s a poorly made item that… — **REDUCE = REFUSE**
It can be hard to say no, but to recognize that we don’t need something before letting it into our lives can be the best way to minimize the waste we are creating. Whether it’s a “want” more than a “need,” it’s a poorly made item that you know will break, or if it’s something temporary to fill a gap that you forgot about, making due without can be a powerful way to start making change in your life.

ALWAYS BUY USEDBefore heading to Target or Kohl’s, try the local thrift store first. It may take some patience and planning ahead, but once you get into the routine of never buying new you’ll see how easy it can be. There are so many things that alr… — **BUY USED**
Before heading to a local big box store, try the local thrift store first. It may take some patience and planning ahead, but once you get into the routine of buying used, you’ll see how easy it can be. There are so many things that already exist in the world—simply displaced objects—rediscover it and make use once more!

ALWAYS USE REUSABLESWhat are things that you throw out (not recycle) every day, multiple times a day? Wouldn’t it be great to minimize that waste stream? While it might be hard to convince yourself, there are reusable alternatives to otherwise dis… — **CHOOSE TO REUSE**
What are things that you throw out (not recycle) every day, multiple times a day? Wouldn’t it be great to minimize that waste stream? While it might be hard to convince yourself, there are reusable alternatives to otherwise disposable products. Perhaps most notably you can find cloth diapers for babies, as well as cloth pads and silicone alternatives for menstruating women. As the trend to reduce waste has increased, so have the quality and safety of alternatives such as these. Please do your own research to know if these options are right for you, but here are some resources to get you started. For cloth diapers visit here, and for reusable menstrual products go here or here.

AVOID PACKAGING: BUY FRESH FOOD AT FARMERS MARKETSYou can find fresh, unpackaged food at most grocery stores as well, but Farmers Markets are often places that offer you the chance to connect more with your community and your food. Additionally, if … — **AVOID PACKAGING: BUY FRESH FOOD AT FARMERS MARKETS**
You can find fresh, unpackaged food at most grocery stores as well, but Farmers Markets are often places that offer you the chance to connect more with your community and your food. Additionally, if the food is locally grown (not often available at grocery stores) then you can also count the miles saved on transportation as a part of your waste reduction efforts. A lot of food in the produce section of the grocery store is probably from out of state. At the market, you can usually find beautiful vegetables from within 30 miles!

FIND OR MAKE YOUR OWN CLOTH BAGSInstead of using disposable plastic bags find reusable cloth bags for groceries. You can also find lighter cloth bags for produce. You can find a simple no-sew pattern online like this one, purchase some at your local… — **FIND OR MAKE YOUR OWN CLOTH BAGS**
Instead of using disposable plastic bags find reusable cloth bags for groceries. You can also find lighter cloth bags for produce. You can find a simple no-sew pattern online like this one, purchase some at your local grocer, or perhaps online. Remember that these bags will get your food from the market to your home; once at home, items should be stored appropriately based on what kind of food it is. Cloth bags will not keep vegetables fresh.

BYO-JAR: SHOP THE BULK SECTIONThere are bulk sections in most grocery stores these days. That means that you can bring your own containers and fill them at the store to avoid the packaging that would otherwise come with those foods. Cloth bags like … — **BYO-JAR: SHOP THE BULK SECTION**
There are bulk sections in most grocery stores these days. That means that you can bring your own containers and *fill them at the store* to avoid the packaging that would otherwise come with those foods. Cloth bags like those mentioned above are great for dry things like rice, nuts, granola, while jars can be used for liquids such as oil and honey. While the cloth bags are great for transporting foods from the store to your home, they will not keep foods fresh. Jars, which can be sealed, are best for that when it comes to dry goods like grains and coffee.

REUSE YOUR VEGGIE ENDSEven the ends of carrots, skins of potatoes, and shells of onions have flavor and nutrients in them. When you’re prepping vegetables for a dish, set those bits and pieces aside to freeze. Once you have a big bag saved up, just … — **REUSE YOUR VEGGIE ENDS**
Even the ends of carrots, skins of potatoes, and shells of onions have flavor and nutrients in them. When you’re prepping vegetables for a dish, set those bits and pieces aside to freeze. Once you have a big bag saved up, just add water and boil it down for a nutritious vegetable stock. Onion, carrots, and celery are especially good for this. **The same goes for meat products.** Whether you’re carving a turkey or trimming fat from a roast, you can use all parts of the animal by making stock from the less-desirable pieces.

PERSONAL HYGIENE: MAKE IT YOURSELFReducing before recycling can be hard, especially when you want to take good care of yourself and your body with the products that you use for personal hygiene. However, instead of buying a new bottle from the store… — **PERSONAL HYGIENE: MAKE IT YOURSELF**
Reducing before recycling can be hard, especially when you want to take good care of yourself and your body with the products that you use for personal hygiene. However, instead of buying a new bottle from the store the next time it empties, consider making your own version. Doing your own searching online will probably get you closest to finding the recipes that work for you, but here is a site to start with if you’re not sure how to begin. Making your own personal care products is not something reserved for “hippies.” It is in fact a very pragmatic way to care for yourself as it reduces your dependency on over-priced and low-quality goods, gives you more agency over what the product is made of and how it works, saves you money, and reduces packaging.