Easy Ways to Reduce Household Waste

A key piece of the living sustainably puzzle is to reduce our household waste, which can have huge impacts on the planet. But it can be difficult to know where to start and what changes we need to make. Especially in our busy lives, where we sometimes forget to eat.

According to the EPA in 2018, the top types of solid waste generated were: Paper, Food, Plastic, Yard Waste, Metals, and Glass. So the thought process would be to try to decrease our waste produced in some of those categories, right?

We can also start eliminating single-use plastics. These items are used once and then thrown away, contributing to the growing problem of plastic pollution. By switching to reusable alternatives, such as cloth shopping bags, water bottles, and food containers, we can significantly reduce our household waste.

Implement Composting to Reduce Food Waste

Composting is an easy and effective way to reduce household waste. Plus you get the by-product of creating nutrient-rich soil that can be used for your garden.

Composting is a little bit…messy at our house, mainly because we’re in the process of building our new outdoor bin. Our “puppy” (4.5 year old rescued pit-mix) is still learning she’s not allowed on our counters and has taught herself to scale our upcycled-material compost bin outside. Suffice it to say, we can’t put fresh veggie scraps in our outdoor bin, unless we want her to eat them. 

Here are a few things you can do to get started:

Choose the Right Compost Bin

Anywho, first you have to determine how you want to compost by choosing what is right for you, your home, and your life. I’ll keep it simple, there are three options:

1. Community (or Municipal) Composting: this is a fantastic option to start with as you explore what can/cannot be composted. And bonus points if the community compost feeds a community garden as well. This type of composting allows you to reduce your food waste, without having the maintenance of 
2. An Indoor Home Composting Device: this is the “easiest” and most expensive option for those trying to compost at home. But it is perfect for those of you limited on space. These new-ish indoor composters do a great job of reducing your food waste and work by using heat and agitation to break down the food waste placed within them.
3. Compost Bin: this is the easiest option in terms of composting. We just throw everything into our compost bin, and know eventually nature will take over.

After deciding or acknowledging how you want to compost, you’ll have to choose a compost bin if you are opting to maintain your own. You can choose from a variety of options like a traditional outdoor bin, a tumbling bin, or even an indoor worm bin. The size of the bin will depend on the amount of waste you generate and the space you have available.

Learn What to Compost

Knowing what to compost is just as important as choosing the right bin. But this can quickly become overwhelming. I spent a long time NOT composting because I was scared of getting it wrong….and, it turns out, there is no “wrong,” just lessons learned along the way.

You can compost a wide variety of materials such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, and yard waste. However, overall you should try to avoid composting meat, dairy, and oils as they can attract pests and slow down the composting process, but it’s not going to ruin your compost if you some make it’s way into the bin. 

Here’s a list of everyday items that you can compost:

• Fruit and vegetable scraps
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Tea bags (I try to remove the staples first, if the labels are stapled on)
• Eggshells
• Yard waste (grass clippings, leaves, etc.)
• Shredded newspaper and cardboard
• Dryer lint and hair (human hair, cat hair, all of it is compostable)

It’ll take awhile before you see usable soil. Well, actually, let me rephrase that….we are very “lazy” gardeners/homesteaders. And we try to let nature do her thing without much input from us. As such, we just throw our food scraps on our pile and then wait. It works perfectly fine, but it takes awhile. There are all sorts of ways to speed it up, but to us, the amount of effort doesn’t reap any benefits.

You will see The Importance of Composting and an IMMEDIATE reduction in how much trash you produce though, that I can promise you. 

Reduce, Reuse…Recycle?

Another simple way to reduce your household waste is by following the “R principles” of zero waste – Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recycle and Recover. Whew! That’s a mouthful, you don’t need to remember because the concept is really simple: things that don’t come into your home, don’t create waste. Things that do should be used until they are “dead.” And then they should be recycled, if at all possible.

Here are a couple easy ways to incorporate these practices into your daily life.

Reduce the Amount of Waste you Bring Home

Stop Using Single-Use Items

One of the easiest ways to reduce waste is eliminating single-use disposable items like shopping bags, zippie bags, water bottles, or takeout containers. These items are all EASILY replaced: reusable shopping bags made of cloth (or recycled water bottles), glass or metal food storage containers, and refillable water bottles. And reusable items stay out of the landfill longer! 

My mom’s “first” step toward sustainability was me buying her a filtered water bottle so she could stop drinking from her single-use bottles.

You can keep a reusable bag in your car or purse so you’re always prepared for an impromptu shopping trip. When shopping for produce, skip the plastic bags and opt for reusable mesh bags or bring your own containers. Many stores now offer bulk bins for items like grains, nuts, and dried fruits. Bring your own containers (mason jars are perfect for smaller items like nuts) or use the provided bags to avoid excess packaging. Invest in a reusable water bottle. Honestly, you’ll drink more water and stay more consistently hydrated. And you won’t have to buy water or deal with accumulated water bottles everywhere. 

Buying Reusable Items

If this eliminating single-use items is what you want to focus on, take it one item at a time. Maybe you start by replacing plastic bottles of water with a refillable water bottle. Once you have that bottle, and have been using it successfully instead of buying the single-use bottles, start thinking of one more eco-friendly transition you can make. Taking it one switch at a time is WAAAY easier to handle (especially if you have a loved one who lives with you and is unknowing about the majority of this journey!), and way easier to implement. 

Understanding Recycling Symbols

I still don’t understand recycling fully. I don’t think anyone really can since every recycling facility has it’s own special rules about what they accept, how they accept it, and everything in between. So, I hesitated including it in this getting-started guide, but it’s important to at least have the option in the back of your brain for “when you want to do more.” Trust me, you definitely will. 

When it comes to recycling, it’s important to understand what each symbol means. The chasing arrows symbol is often associated with recycling, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the item is recyclable in your area. You must check with your local waste management facility to see what materials they accept. Once you have that list, you’ll look for the numbers inside the chasing arrows to identify the type of plastic to see if your local facility is able to recycle it. Not all plastics are created equal, and some are easier to recycle than others.

Mindful Shopping to Reduce Waste

Another option to reduce your household waste would be making smart decisions with more mindful shopping. You probably didn’t know your wallet actually has a voice. Businesses make more of what customers want to buy, law of supply and demand. Here are some easy ways you can shop more sustainably:

Buy in Bulk

Without even trying to make different buying decisions, buying in bulk can help to drastically reduce the amount of packaging you bring home. You can consider purchasing dry goods like rice, beans, pasta, flour, or oats in bulk and storing them in reusable containers. This reduces your waste now, while also saving you money!

Just a buyer-beware: sometimes buying “in bulk” creates more packaging waste with stores like Costco or Sam’s Club. When I started trying to buy in bulk, we went to Costco (for my first time), only to realize they didn’t sell everything in large volume bulk. Some items are just normal sized packages, cling wrapped together with like 9 of the same thing. We’ve since transitioned to 25 pound paper bags of flour, rice, and oats from a local farm about twice a year. 

Choose Sustainable Products

The cornerstone of shopping for sustainable household items, is to look for products made from sustainable materials like bamboo, glass, and stainless steel. Avoid single-use plastic items like water bottles, straws, and utensils. Instead, opt for reusable alternatives like a refillable water bottle or a set of metal or silicone straws.

When you’re making a purchase, consider investing in high-quality products that will last longer and require less frequent replacement. The Buy-It-For-Life community on Reddit is one of my research stops before buying something. We recently needed a new rice cooker because our previous one didn’t sell just the insert alone. Buy it for life helped narrow down the number of rice makers so we could make a decisions. Ultimately, we bought one with a stainless steel insert and it is soooo amazing. Adding in a little research can save you money in the long run and reduce the amount of waste you produce.

Proper Disposal of Hazardous Waste

As you work to reduce household waste, there are some things that are hazardous and can’t be thrown into your normal trash.  It’s important to properly dispose of hazardous waste to protect the environment and the health of our society. Here are some tips to help you dispose of hazardous waste safely and easily:

1. Identify Hazardous Waste

Before disposing of any waste, we need to understand what is hazardous. Hazardous waste includes items such as batteries, electronics, pesticides, cleaning products, and fluorescent light bulbs. Check the labels on these items to see if they contain any hazardous materials.

We don’t use any pesticides or unnatural cleaning products, but we have had to find recycling centers for batteries, electronics, and fluorescent light bulbs. Electronics are, by far, the hazardous waste we’ve had to recycle most. This week I’ll be recycling my fourth TV, they really don’t make them like they used to (and I will clarify that two of those TVs were from the 90s that I recycled for members of my family). 

2. Find a Collection Site

Many communities have designated collection sites where residents can drop off hazardous waste for proper disposal. Check with your local government, your local waste management services, or visit Earth 911 to find a collection site near you. Some retailers, such as big box home improvement stores, also offer collection services for certain small items like cell phones or batteries. 

3. Use Alternatives

Whenever possible, try to use alternatives to hazardous products, avoiding them altogether is pretty impossible in today’s world though. You could consider using natural cleaning products instead of harsh chemicals like ammonia or bleach. This is WAAAY better for the health of you and your family. If you have them in your home right now, just ensure you are storing them properly and dispose of them the correct way. 

4. Recycle

Some hazardous waste items, such as electronics and batteries, can be easily recycled. Check with your local recycling center or visit Call2Recycle to find a recycling location near you. There are also some e-waste recycling programs out there, like Nimble, that provide recycling services for smaller electronics (like cell phones or laptop computers).

Final Thoughts on Ways to Reduce Waste in your Home

I know, I promised “easy” but this is a LOT of information to take in. But I want you to choose one thing and just start. Just do it “messy” and learn as you go. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you just have to get started.

If I may be so bold, I would strongly urger you to start with composting, as this has been our BIGGEST reduction in household waste. You’ve taken the first steps, and I’m excited you are here.