Learning how to reduce household waste makes it easier to keep your home clean and maintained, and you’ll also save money. If you are ready to lessen your environmental impact and get the most out of your resources, here are the best ways.
Reuse Rags, Cloths, and Bags
While many people know the phrase ‘reduce, reuse, recycle,’ they forget to reuse items they already own. When cleaning, use rags and old towels instead of new cleaning cloths purchased just for that purpose.
Avoid disposable paper products like paper napkins and towels and buy reusable, washable cloth napkins. Another option is to make your own from old t-shirts or tablecloths. These are easy to clean in the laundry and help reduce household waste.
Avoid Disposable Waste That Can’t Be Recycled
Whenever possible, purchase items that don’t have packaging that you’ll have to throw away. For example, instead of buying ready-to-use lettuce inside a plastic bag, buy a head of lettuce that you can cut at home. Be mindful at the grocery store and when shopping not to introduce unnecessary waste. Buying from the bulk bins and using reusable bags also limit waste and reduce clutter.
Start a Compost Bin to Reduce Household Waste
Compost is nutrient-rich fertilizer helpful in enriching garden soil and beds, and you can make it on your own with food waste. Place vegetable waste, fruit scraps, eggshells, grass clippings, leaves, and coffee grounds into a compost bin to decompose. Depending on what organic material you put in the container, it could take 4-12 months before it is usable. Compost is an excellent way to reduce household waste and save money on fertilizer.
Use Your Recycling Bin to Reduce Household Waste
Unfortunately, many homeowners throw a wide variety of waste into recycling bins without checking the number on the bottom or whether or not the recycling facility accepts it. Do your research and only place recyclables in the recycling bin. To reduce household waste, place things like clean milk cartons, pizza boxes with the grease spots ripped off, and glass jars with the labels removed in your bin.
Purchase Secondhand
It isn’t realistic to expect people never to purchase anything new, but buying secondhand reduces household waste. Thrift stores and other secondhand shops offer a variety of clothes, furniture, décor, and other items in excellent condition at a fraction of purchasing them new. This lowers your spending and also works to reduce waste.
American Dream Home Inspections offers inspections throughout Northern and Central New Jersey. If you’re buying or selling a home, contact us to schedule an appointment.