2020 has felt like a year of true helplessness for me. I have wanted to protest, rally for candidates, encourage people to vote, etc. but the pandemic has kept me mostly homebound for nearly 8 months now. It can be hard to feel like you are making a difference in the world when you are hung up on while phone banking or your email to your representatives go unanswered.

Recently, the effects of climate change have been ever present to me. Especially since I have a far bit of family on the West coast of the US, which is currently ablaze. It became clear to me that there was something that I could do everyday (multiple times a day) to help Planet Earth - reduce my household waste.

In addition to making an impact now, I also like that my kids will see me reducing our household waste. If they see it enough, it will become habit to them and something that they will continue to do as they grow. It all starts at home.

How can we reduce household waste?

I thought that I was already doing my part by using reusable shopping bags here and there, but there is so much more that we can do! Here are 14 quick ways to start making a difference today!

Reusable bags

Everyone is familiar with reusable bags these days. They have even become a fashion statement with eco-friendly leather and jute market bags and mesh net bags. However, there are many other opportunities to expand this trend.

How about all the green smaller plastic bags that you use as you grab your produce? Those could be eliminated with these reusable and washable bags. And then you come home and chop those veggies into bite size pieces for your kids. If your kids are like mine, it takes them days to consume the entire piece of produce so into a plastic storage bag it goes! Skip the storage bag for silicone pouches that come in all the same sizes as your Ziplocs. And if that isn’t your speed, invest in a nice set of glass storage containers that you can just throw in the dishwasher. These also carry the added bonus of being great if you meal plan your lunches for the week!

Travel Mugs + Reusable Bottles

It feels like most people have already jumped on this bandwagon as well! But in case you haven’t, grab an insulated travel mug to take into Starbucks and a reusable water bottle with a straw to hydrate throughout the day! I love this small YETI insulated cup. It would be great to just leave at the office on your desk to avoid using paper cups.

Manage Your Mail

Treat your actual inbox like your email inbox. As you get mail that you don’t want, determine how to get off their mailing list. If you receive a paper bill, most companies have info on opting into paperless billing. And if pesky junk mail if your problem, you can always try to decrease the number of mailers by putting “No Junk Mail” or “Do Not Solicit” stickers on your mailbox.

Wool Dryer Balls

Wool dryer balls are an easy replacement for dryer sheets. These dryer balls can last 1000+ washes for only $17. Bounce dryer sheets would cost you over $40 to dry the same number of loads. They also claim to reduce the time that it takes to dry a load of laundry, but I always use timed dry so I cannot attest to that.

Bamboo Makeup Rounds

I use cotton rounds multiple times daily - toner application, makeup removal, etc. These bamboo makeup remover rounds are machine washable.

Silicone Baking Sheets

I have have had these silicone baking sheets for quite some time and they are incredibly versatile. I of course use them to bake with, but I also use them as a surface for rolling dough for cookies, placemats for messy kid activities, and sometimes as a cutting board. Instead of running to parchment paper to bake or paper plates for the kids, consider these mats.

Cloth Napkins

I get the chills thinking about the greasy paper napkin balls my children create. Using cloth napkins just makes sense for us especially since we do a load of laundry daily.

How can we reduce food waste at home?

Compost + Gardening

When I first considered composting, the thought of old veggies hanging out on my countertop made me gag. I also knew it was an eye sore in my kitchen. But in the grand scheme of things, those are minor issues. Especially since they make some pretty sleek small compost bins as well as eco-friendly and dishwasher friendly compost bins.

If you plan on composting, you will also need an outdoor unit in addition to the countertop bin. The outdoor composter is where the magic happens. With a little research, you can determine the right ratio of green waste to food waste to water that you will need. I was concerned about the odor as we are in a neighborhood with close neighbors, but it really isn’t that bad.

Deciding to compost and garden is a process. You don’t throw some banana peels into a compost bin and use that the next day to fertilize a garden. I am by no means a compost/garden expert, but here are some tips:

Research the ratios of waste that you need to create a solid starter in your outdoor compost bin. You will need to accumulate the yard and food waste for a little while before starting.
Research what materials can and cannot be composted.
Start your composting weeks (maybe months) before you want to start gardening, if you want to use exclusively compost in your garden.

Freeze Things Nearing Expiration

You’d be surprised how many things you can freeze before they expire. Make it a habit to do a quick Google search before you toss nearly expired goods.

DIY Veggie Broth

Piggybacking off of composting, consider making your own veggie broth from the parts of veggies that you often toss. This is a great first step if you think you might consider composting. It gets you into the habit of saving your scraps vs immediately tossing them.

We save our veggie scraps (think carrot peels, ends of green onions, etc.) in a freezer bag until we have a fair amount. Then I boil them in water along with some spices for a long time until they become fragrant. If you’re more of recipe follower, here is a great example of how to make vegetable broth using kitchen scraps

Serve Your Kids Less Food at a Time

Nothing drives me crazier than tossing away all the food my kids didn’t feel like eating. It is enough to feed another person. In addition to starting the compost for this reason, I also started putting less food on my kids’ plates each time that I serve them. It is much easier for them to ask for more than for me to dump a full plate of food in the trash.

How Can We Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle?

Start a Clean Recycle Stash

My kids love a good craft. How many times have you wanted to do a fun craft, but you needed a toilet paper roll or a gallon jug. I started keeping a stash of clean containers that can be used for future projects. At any given time I will have paper towel rolls, plastic containers, newspaper, 2 liter bottles, etc. in one place to reuse.

Shop Zero Waste Stores + Products

This can mean a few things. First, there are some really cool online stores, like Loop which “is a sustainable shopping experience moving the world away from single-use packaging.” They offer products that you know and love like Seventh Generation and Love Beauty and Planet and Haagen Dazs in reusable containers. When you’re done with the product, you simply put the container back into the cooler-like tote that it is sent in and schedule a time for it to be picked up. There is a warning on their site that if your family has food allergies, this service is not a great fit for you based on trace exposure while packaging the totes.

Alternatively, there are individual zero waste products that you could invest in. The next time you are out of kitchen sponges, consider this cute countertop ceramic soap dispenser and brush set. I’ve also started using amber soap dispensers in place of the plastic ones. I just purchase a large refill of soap at Costco every few months. And then I save the container in my clean recycle stash.

EarthHero is a another website that offers sustainable essentials, like biodegradable cotton swabs. As you run out of your basic essentials, give this resource a once over before autopilot ordering from the big box stores.

Understand Recycling

I am by no means an expert in recycling. There are a lot of resources on the EPA site about what can and can’t be recycled. In addition to generally understanding what can be recycled, there are also location based restrictions that can be a factor. For example, on each recyclable plastic there is a number that corresponds to a category of plastics. Not every area is capable of recycling all plastics, so even if you think you’re doing the right thing, your efforts might be futile if you don’t do your research. Here is a comprehensive article about recycling that touches on all the basics.

Personally, I am really excited to have discovered TerraCycle. TerraCycle is a social enterprise that works with brands to recycle some of the more difficult packaging used. They have programs that you enroll in (for free). You then start collecting the waste until you have enough that you want to ship to them. At that point, you just click “Send Us Your Waste”, and they email you a shipping label. Once they receive your waste, you are given points based on the amount you recycled. These points can then be redeemed in cash values for donations to schools and charities. (Are you feeling warm and fuzzy? I am.)

There is certainly a learning curve that comes with starting a lower waste lifestyle. Step one is approaching your daily activities with a new mindset. As you run out of your common household goods, consider ways to be more eco-friendly with your next purchase. Don’t feel like the only way to make an impact is to start doing each of these things immediately. Start slow and in a way that complements your current situation.

Eco-friendly products do tend to be more expensive. If right now isn’t the time financially, consider making it a family goal or competition. Challenge your relatives to a “who can get more points” competition on Terra. The winner gets to choose which charity the “losers” points go to! Planning it out this way also allows you time to financially budget for a lower waste lifestyle.

Here’s the overview of all the products I mention above.

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How to Reduce Household Waste Everyday