We strive to achieve a circular economy. By encouraging us to keep items and materials in use, a circular economy seeks to reduce waste and reduce our dependency on natural resources. This lowers greenhouse gas emissions, conserves energy, and generates employment. You may contribute to pollution prevention and environmental protection by lowering the quantity of waste you produce. You also save money, protect natural resources, and reduce the quantity of waste that ends up in landfills.
The U.S. produces 268 million tons of waste per year. Nearly half of this rubbish is general waste, which is collected from black bins and goes to landfill. Only half of this waste is collected from our green and brown bins to be recycled or composted, which means the average American tossing 4.5 pounds of trash per day.
This is a huge waste and irresponsible to our environment, and of course there are many things we can do to reduce the amount of waste in our homes and prevent more waste from going to landfills. These include:
Reuse, recycle, and repair
Recycling is the process of gathering trash and recycling it into new, reusable materials or things. Because recycling requires less raw materials than creating a new product, it improves the environment and minimizes air pollution. Because many waste collectors have no restrictions on the amount of rubbish you can place in your green and brown containers, recycling household waste can help lower the amount you pay for waste collection. However, there are usually limits to how much you may put in your black bin, and extra fees apply if you do. Alternatively, you can bring your recyclable waste to a recycling plant to be recycled. Find out more about recycling in your community.
Avoiding the production of trash is the greatest method to reduce it. Use stuff again as possible as you can. For instance, use a reusable bottle and fill it up at home or at the nearby free drinking water tap instead of purchasing plastic water bottles. Bring your own reusable shopping bags if you're going shopping.
Try to fix the things you already have rather than purchasing new ones. You could fix many things, for instance, fix your clothing, furniture, bicycle, or appliances. The internet has instructions on how to fix most things. Alternatively, you might hire a nearby expert to fix your items.
Upcycling is an additional choice. Reusing materials you no longer want to create new goods or commodities with a better value is what this entails. It may be a creative and entertaining method to lessen waste and give used goods new life.
Avoid over-packed food
Avoid purchasing anything at the grocery store that comes in too much plastic packaging. You may be permitted to discard extra packaging in some supermarkets.
Bring your own bag to transport unpackaged fruit and veggies home if possible. Pick food items that are packaged in recyclable materials.
Buy second hand
Buying second hand products will save you money. It also decreases the demand for new items, which preserves natural resources. Cars, clothes, exercise equipment, furniture and books are all examples of items that can be bought and used second hand.
If you have items that you don’t want, instead of throwing them out, you could donate them to a charity shop. You could also donate or sell them through buy and sell websites or social media groups.
How can I reduce food waste?
The average US household produces 108 billion pounds of food waste each year, 108 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year.
Additionally, food waste harms the ecosystem. It releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is more detrimental than carbon dioxide, when it is disposed of in a landfill.
Here are some useful suggestions to lessen food waste:
Make a grocery list and weekly menu.
Create a grocery list based on the food you will need for the coming week. Look at the meal plans' recipes. Only include goods on your shopping list that you will actually use and need. To help you remember, take a picture of what is in your refrigerator. As much as you can, stick to the list and abstain from impulsive purchases.
Keep an eye on dates
Passing use-by dates is the main reason people throw out food. Keep an eye on dates and give yourself enough time to eat or freeze food.
Freeze your surplus food
One of the simplest methods to preserve food is to freeze it. Additionally, a wide variety of food products freeze well. For instance, you can freeze any greens that are a little too soft to use in your preferred salad and use them later in smoothies and other dishes. The majority of fruits can be frozen during the season if you pick them or even grow them.
Many meal leftovers can also be frozen. As we have suggested for your refrigerator, it is crucial to manage and rotate the contents of your freezer.
Compost your kitchen waste
Composting is the process of recycling organic matter, such as food waste or leaves, naturally. Over time, the organic matter turns into a material called compost which is full of nutrients and can be added to soil in the garden or indoor plants.
After going through the above steps, you will find that the amount of waste produced by your household can be reduced to a level that will surprise you, and imagine that if most American households can do good waste management, just the United States as one country How much contribution can be made to the environment of this world, it is worth doing, and it is worth promoting.
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