Reducing The Amount of Trash You Produce

On average, each American produces more than 4 pounds of trash per day. Sounds shocking, right? With that being said, only 37% of that amount is actually recycled. The rest goes on to live its days at a landfill. So, what can you do about this? There are actually many things that consumers can do to not only reduce the amount of trash they produce, but also to help the environment. Today, we’re outlining some practical ways to reduce the amount of trash you produce so that you can do yourself and the environment a favor!

1) Create a Solid Recycling System in Your Home

If something is right in front of you, it’s easier to not ignore. Do you have a recycling system set up in your home? Maybe it’s separate bins for recycled versus trash, or maybe it’s a compost pile (which we’ll cover later). Either way, get the family or roommates on board and make a recycling plan. Have you read through our website for items we can recycle? You may not even know that we can take care of household items like furniture and old electronics. Next time you go to throw something away, take a moment to think about it. Is this something that you can recycle either on your own or with our help, or is this something that belongs at the landfill?

2) Improve the Recycling System in Your Office

While we may make recycling and reduction of waste in our home a priority, it’s essential to make sure this also transfers into our life outside of the home. Does your office or place of work have a good recycling system in place or does everything go in one bin and head to the landfill? If you’re not sure, talk to your Human Resources contact to get the right information for whom to talk to about this topic. You might think that just one person wouldn’t have a large effect, but you can cause a ripple effect amongst your co-workers!

3) Start Composting

One way to reduce the amount of waste that goes to a landfill is through starting a compost pile. Things you normally might put in the trash, such as fruit and vegetable pieces, old plants, and leaves and grass from your yard, can be made into a new concoction perfect for your soil. Composting allows you to reduce the amount of trash you produce while helping your garden. If you don’t personally garden, you can get in touch with someone who does. Learn more about creating a compost pile here.

4) Invest in Reusable items

When you think about the amount of things you throw away each day, how much of it is one-time use plastic? Things like grocery bags are easily replaced with reusable bags that you can keep in your car and take with you on your next shopping trip. If you find yourself realizing you and your family use a lot of plastic bags for food and other small items, try investing in reusable silicone sandwich and snack bags. Another way to reduce your consumption is by carrying a reusable water bottle around with you to limit the amount of disposable water bottles you go through.

If you go out to eat frequently, consider bringing your own reusable containers with you. For example, if you go out to Starbucks for coffee every morning, bring your own reusable travel mug rather than going through a plastic or paper cup a day. If you eat out at restaurants you know you will have leftovers from, try bringing your own reusable container to take them home rather than bringing home Styrofoam.

Small changes like buying items in glass jars versus plastic containers can make a big impact on your consumption as well. If you enjoy reading the newspaper each day or getting a monthly magazine, try switching to an online version instead. No matter what your interests are, there are multitudes of ways to cut down on the trash you produce and help our environment.

5) Always Keep Learning

New ways of doing things happen all the time. It’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest in recycling and ways to reduce our consumption of waste. Follow along with us on Instagram and Facebook for tips, tricks, and information on being more conscious of what you put out into the world. You can also read through past blog posts to find more details on certain subjects and how you can recycle things you may have never thought of.

It’s important that we all do our part. One small step forward can cause a huge change in your trash production. Imagine if we all took small steps forward.

Have questions? We’re here to help in any way we can. We’re passionate about what we do and look forward to helping you and your family recycle more and contribute less to your nearest landfill.