So, this post is dedicated to outlining a few minor (but important) steps that you can take to reduce the amount of waste you send to the landfill. :)
1. Recycle, recycle, recycle!!
This is something you hear ALL THE TIME. However, I think this is extremely important. The EPA estimates that about 75% of what Americans waste is recyclable, but only 30% is actually recycled. This means that, by recycling everything that you can possibly recycle, you would reduce waste by 45% than what it already is. That is HUGE!!
**Please note that there are some restrictions to recycling depending on where you live. For instance, my county does not recycle Styrofoam plastic, so it either has to be thrown away or taken to a place that does recycle them.
****Also, NEVER leave food or other organic waste on recyclable material. If it makes it to the recycling plant, it will actually ruin the entire batch of recyclable materials and they will be thrown out.
2. Compost
Composting may sound a little gross and overwhelming when you think of having to collect a bunch of waste and putting it in a container to decay until it becomes fertilizer. However, composting is actually way easier and not as disgusting as it sounds.
There is a massive list of materials that can be composted, and all you have to do is throw it in a bin and rotate it every few days to speed up the process. If you don't own a bin, you can set up a small area in your yard, fence it off, and dump the scraps there. If you live in an apartment complex or do not have a yard to yourself, you may be able to toss them in a container and give them to a local composting program or even local farmers.
Below is a small list of things you can compost (for an extensive list, please visit: http://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/100-things-you-can-compost or google "things you can compost"):
- Cardboard
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Eggshells
- Fireplace ashes (only from natural wood)
- Grass clippings
- Hair and fur (human and animal)
- Hay/straw
- Plants
- Leaves
- Shredded Newspaper
- Uncoated paper (small pieces=easier to compost)
- Sawdust
- Tea bags
- Wood chips
- Yard trimmings
***To reduce the smell, it's important to create a good balance between organic (such as plants and eggshells) and inorganic material (such as paper and cardboard)
3. Reuse!
Okay, so you're probably thinking I'm copying this post from the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle campaign. However, I promise I'm not! That being said, this is probably one of my favorite ways to reduce waste, mainly because there are a number of endless possibilities when reusing trash. You can take some that's old and seemingly useless and make it into something super cool and very useful!
When I took a Recycling class last January, one of our group projects was to create something useful out of trash. The outcome was amazing. One group took a K-Cup and created a plant cup out of it, while another group took a 2-liter Coke bottle and created a toothbrush/toothpaste holder. My group created a food stand out of recycled cardboard, paper, and food cans. If you're lacking ideas, simply go on Pinterest or a similar website to get some inspiration!
While these methods may not seem like a lot, it has the ability to reduce waste by a ton! So, I would encourage you to try a couple of these out and see what happens. :)
Sources:
http://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/100-things-you-can-compost
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/composting-way-easier-you-think?gclid=CjwKEAiAtefDBRDTnbDnvM735xISJABlvGOvApg0EM4khTF63bmNuyn9bLYE7QCtI5SqRGei-VHhKxoCdmDw_wcB
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-recycling
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