6 Easy Ways to Reduce the Amount of Waste Your Household Produces

The average Australian home pumps out approximately 1.5 tonnes of waste each and every year, which if you must know, is an awful lot of garbage! Naturally, with an ever-growing population, the amount of waste we produce as a nation is rising exponentially with us. So, in this article we are going to look at a number of tips which will help you create as little waste as possible.

Naturally, if you’ve got a home project on the go we’d advise that you rent a skip bin in order to dispose of your waste safely and efficiently. However, this article is focused more on the general day-to-day waste that you produce.

1 – Bin-Off Plastic Bags

It’s easy enough to do once you’ve formed the habit. Just simply stop buying plastic bags, invest in a few fabric ‘bags for life’ and do your part for the environment. The easiest way to do this is to leave your bags in the boot of your car so that you never forget them at home.

2 – Recycle PROPERLY

Everyone claims to recycle properly, though most really do not. It’s the little things which make all the difference. For example, wash your plastic and empty cans properly to get rid of excess food and contaminants, recycle little things like old receipts and bus tickets and be mindful of what can and cannot be recycled.

3 – Efficient Placement of Your Bins

Your recycling bin should be as close (if not closer) to you in the kitchen. We are inherently lazy creatures and will always find a compromise where possible. So, if you truly want to create as little waste as possible and recycle properly, make sure the bin is within reach at all times.

4 – Not All Waste Is Waste

Don’t throw everything in the bin! Be mindful and creative and try to re-use whatever you can, where possible. For example, when you’re finished with a jar of picked onions, why not try making your own? Throw some garlic and chillies in the jar with some brine and onions and pop them to one side for a little while. You can do the same with infused oils, re-use jars as vases and much, much more.

5 – Never Waste Your Leftover Food

When preparing a meal, there’s always bound to be some leftovers. You can try to avoid this by either being very strict with your portion controls and try to reduce the amount of food at the consume at dinner, or purposefully create extra so that you can have some for lunch at work the next day. If you store your leftovers properly, they’ll keep well and will be just as delicious after!

6 – Composting

For any food waste that you don’t want to reuse you should invest in a composter. No longer will you have to worry about the bin starting to smell horrendous, when instead you can dispose of your food waste safely and efficiently.

Of course, there is always much that we can do to reduce our carbon footprint on the world. All it takes is a bit of dedication, incremental changes and the desire to do right by your environment and you can really make a difference. Though, it’s not just about reducing your carbon footprint, because much of what you do can actually enrich your life as well.