How to Live Waste Free at Home
The first step in how to live waste free at home is to become more aware of what you are discarding. You may notice that you have a lot of plastic packaging, spoiled food, and plastic zippered bags. These items all contribute to landfills. So what can you do? Here are a few ideas. Read on for ways to reduce waste at home and improve your health at the same time. Read this article to get started.
Compost
If you’d like to learn how to live waste-free at home, start with compost. This organic material is an excellent way to use your kitchen scraps. The best compost materials include fruit and vegetables, tea bags and coffee grounds, old flowers, and eggshells. Cooked food and bones should be avoided, as they may attract pests. Some products that say they’re compostable are actually only meant for industrial use, and will not work at home. For best results, compost your kitchen scraps as part of a deliberate layering process.
A three-foot cube is the ideal size for a compost pile. The reason for this is that the waste has to be large enough for aerobic organisms to thrive. A pile bigger than five cubic feet may not have enough oxygen to reach decomposers, and turning the pile is more difficult than usual. Also, reducing the amount of food waste you pile will speed up the decomposition process. Also, the thumb rule for composting is to avoid items thicker than a finger’s width.
Reuse
Despite the popular myth that a zero-waste lifestyle means giving up all the luxuries of modern life, there are ways to reduce your waste without compromising your comforts. Refusing to discard unwanted promotional items, junk mail, plastic straws, and unused toilet paper rolls will help you to reduce your overall waste. Another way to reduce your waste is to buy only natural, zero-waste products. If you must buy disposable items, opt for natural alternatives such as glass or stainless steel or cloth products. These alternatives are easy to launder and can reduce your overall trash output.
Donate used electronics. Donating used electronics extends their life and keeps valuable products out of the landfill. Earth Day is April 22, so be sure to organize a recycling drive and clean-up efforts to help the environment. Encourage your kids to participate in the celebration by organizing a recycling drive. Organize the event at your local school or neighbourhood to encourage them to recycle more. Recycling items is also a great way to promote a positive environmental awareness among your neighbours.
Recycle
The average American produces more than four pounds of trash each day, and about one thousand pounds of waste a year. As a result, it’s no surprise that people are starting to rethink their trash habits. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tracks 300 million tons of solid waste each year. Only about 30 percent of plastic bottles are recycled, and the rest ends up in landfills, incinerated, or buried. As a result, hundreds of billions of pounds of garbage enters our oceans and other bodies of water.
If you’re tired of throwing away garbage, try composting. Buy reusable napkins and hankies to limit your trash. Shop in the bulk section for recyclable alternatives. Consider buying food in bulk, instead of plastic packaging. This way, you can reuse the packaging. Once you’ve done this, you’ll have a new, eco-friendly way to shop. Eventually, you’ll be able to eliminate more of your trash.