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Looking for simple and easy ways to reduce waste at home? Saving the planet doesn’t have to be complicated!
What post is about
Doing your part in saving the planet really does not have to be stressful or complicated . There are many super simple ways that we can all reduce waste at home, without any added stress. Here are some simple things you can do to do your part. You can implement just one change, or implement several, whatever you’re able to do. Something is always better than nothing.
A few years ago, we ran out of paper plates and water bottles at our house. At that time, something inspired us to never buy them again. That was about 3 years ago, and now we’ve gone that long without using paper plates or water bottles. Actually, since then, we realized just how much more waste we could cut out of our household. We no longer use paper towels or napkins either. We’ve implemented many changes little by little, one-by-one, which have all accumulated now to be many changes, and LOTS of waste reduced from our household.
This post is all about simple ways to reduce waste at home.
Best Ways to Reduce Waste at Home:
1. Water Bottles for a Water Filter
This one was really easy for us to implement, for some reason. Our fridge doesn’t have a water dispenser on it, so in order for us to eliminate water bottles, we had to purchase a water filter. We do have to fill it a few times a day, but it’s become second nature and it really only takes 5 seconds. We just use reusable water bottles when we’re on the go, and when we’re at home we drink water out of cups.
Here are some crazy facts about plastic water bottles to help you see the impact that reducing them in your home can actually have on the world:
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2. Paper Plates for Dinnerware
In my opinion, this is also a really easy one. I mean, how hard it is to just wash a plate. I think I’ve timed it and it takes about 3 second per plate. lol. Especially if you have a small family, this can be a really simple and productive switch to make. Even if it’s changing to dinnerware on a regular basis and only using paper plates when you have a large gathering etc. it’s still a positive adjustment you can make!
I always recommend porcelain plates, since it is the strongest, most durable material for plates and less likely to chip or break.
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3. Towels for Paper Towels
Using towels instead of paper towels is another simple and easy way to reduce waste at home. We use dish rags to dry our hands and always keep a microfiber cloth on hand to wipe the counters. We wash the rags about every 2 days to reduce bacteria, but it’s still a great way to reduce paper waste.
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4. Silicone for Plastic Ziplocks
This is a newer way to reduce waste at home for us, but it’s definitely a thing. Silicone baggies now exist to store leftovers, food, and snacks in. They are food grade approved, dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe! This is a great way to stop using disposable ziplock bags, and instead, swap them out for silicone. They are reusable and can be washed after each use.
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5. Go Paperless with Your Bills
This one is kind of a no brainer in my opinion. You can switch all bills and statements to be received via email, which is probably the EASIEST way to reduce waste at home and cutback on necessary paper! If you log into any of your providers and go to statements or settings, you should be able to switch to paperless. Also, some email providers allow you to filter your inbox automatically so whenever you receive an important e-bill, it will automatically get filed into a folder called “bills” or whatever you want to call it. You can learn more about this by googling your email provider and “auto filing” or something similar. I know Outlook has an option to set up “rules” which is super cool and convenient.
6. Refillable Glass for Plastic Cleaning Supplies
Another way to reduce waste at home is by swapping out cleaning supplies that are repurchased over and over for reusable containers. For example, Grove offers this nice reusable spray bottle, which you can use for all of your cleaning sprays. You can buy multiple bottles and then just get a big jug of cleaning concentrate and refill the bottle. This will save both time and money in the long run as well. It’s just a simple and easy way to cut back and reduce yet another few bottles each year!
7. Glass Tupperware for Plastic/Paper
Ok so this might not be necessarily a way to reduce waste at home, but glass IS cleaner and less toxic than plastic containers, which I why I recommend it. If you’re someone who stores food and leftovers in the fridge and then reheats it afterward, glass is the way to go. When plastic containers is heated up, it can emit toxic chemicals into your food, where glass does not.
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8. Don’t Use Disposable Cups
Another simple and easy way to reduce waste at home is by using reusable cups and ditching disposables. This is the same concept as the paper plates. It takes 2 seconds to wash a cup, versus using plastic or styrofoam disposable plates. You can do plastic or glass, whatever is easier for you and your family! Whatever you choose, try to eliminate disposable cups. They’re just unnecessary added waste.
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9. Get Rid of Plastic Straws
There are many alternatives to plastic disposable straws, hard, reusable plastic, glass, stainless steel, silicone, etc. This is another super easy thing to just cut out and stop wasting. You can always use one of these to clean the inside of the straw, and they work really well. I personally really like glass straws, even though they’re fragile, because I like to be able to see that the straw is clean.
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10. Meal Plan Each Week
I’ve talked about this many times on the blog, but meal planning each week is such a great way to reduce waste at home. When you plan out your meals each week, you know exactly what to get at the store, how much to buy, and what to cook each day. It’s a foolproof system that takes half an hour on a Sunday and sets you up for major success throughout the week. There are truly so many pros to meal planning.
For our family, it’s an easy way for us to eat healthy and it also saves a lot of money, and stress because we don’t have to come up with meals on the spot.
You can download a free meal planner here, or you can check out the recipe binder which has a meal planner and a ton more resources in it, here!
