Reduce your waste!

[acidcookie]

Something that is important for each of us to consider is how much waste we're dumping out each day. Often, frugality and waste reduction go hand-in-hand, like using cloth diapers, the Diva cup, or saving water!

This great site is from the UK, but still has tons of relevant tips.

Things I do to keep the trash from piling up are:

+ Of course, recycle all cans, bottles, newspapers, etc.
+ Get myself off mailing lists, opt out of junk mail
+ Stop catalogs (keeps me from spending temptation too!)
+ Try to buy groceries in less packaging (like Malt-O-Meal cereal in just a bag rather than a bag AND a box)
+ Take my lunch in plasticware and just use my backpack or a re-usable bag to carry it
+ Use dish towels and rags rather than paper towels to clean kitchen areas


What are some things you do to help reduce the waste in your house?

[Grayce]

We compost. We also have organic collection here which will take things like kleenex, popsicle sticks, paper cups, meat, bones, grease and dairy. We have a very good recycling program. All glass, plastic containers, styrofoam, tincans, tinfoil, all types of paper go in the recycle. We are only allowed 1 bag of garbage a week. Our family of 4 has no trouble sticking to it. Most of the garbage seems to be plastic bags and wrappers. We take our own bags to the stores. We bought the large blue bags they sell at IKEA and they are great. They take a lot of weight. Also if I am in a store and just buying a one or two things I ask them not to put it in a bag. I use J-cloths and wash them many times. I do have paper towels but use them sparingly (they can go in the organic garbage).

[acidcookie]

Wow, I wish we had organic garbage collection!

[cheappearls]

I recycle a ton stuff I can't use here. Even now my boys are playing with an empty big yogurt tub. Haha. Dh just hauled a full truck bed of stuff to the recycle center today.

I cancelled our newspaper subscribtion today. We were hardly reading it anyway.

I bought a couple bags from www.reusablebags.com so I don't have to be bringing home those plastic or paper bags. And when I do have to get plastic bags, I take them to Walmart to be recycled.

I buy 2 liters of soda and use travel mugs instead of buying cans for DH to take the work.

I have switched to cloth diapers and wipes. And I bought a Keeper. No more of those disposable products!

I use cloth rags instead of paper towels for pretty much everything. I do have paper towels but a roll lasts us a month if not longer.

I have thought about starting to use handkerchiefs instead of tissues. I have a bunch of old bandanas I can use. We go through a lot of tissues here.

I want to start a compost pile soon. Just waiting on the worms I'm getting from my mom.

I try to look at everything I'm throwing away to see if it can be reused. I use scraps of paper for doing math (I'm trying to not be so dependant on the calculator.) or having the boys color on them. An empty butter tub is great for putting crayons in so they aren't rolling all over the place. I save the rubber bands from the newpaper (which of course I just cancelled. haha) and put them with my office supplies. Empty TP and paper towel rolls are great for art projects.

Just makin little steps.

Great site. I'm going to have to read it all later. haha.

[acidcookie]

Oh also, taking my own coffee mug in when I do get coffee. You usually even get a little bit of a discount!

[claimsgirl66]

thanks for the link! fun website..I will remember the tips when I go to "the pub"!
I read some of the tips & I feel good about myself for doing alot of the things. My town has dumpster bins for plastics, newspapers, junk mail, cardboard etc...and so once a week I bring my sorted recyclables & feel a little better about doing my part.

Thanks to this forum, I am not only interested in saving my own $$, but I think twice before buying something as I do not want to create more trash or contribute to more waste to the planet.

[Telephus44]

Oh also, taking my own coffee mug in when I do get coffee. You usually even get a little bit of a discount!

You know, we had this at my school when I went to college, and I've thought about just bringing a mug with me to Dunkin Doughnuts or Starbucks and just asking them if they'd fill it. Maybe I'll finally get off my butt and do it.

Our complex has recycling bins for cans, plastic, glass, and newspaper. In addition to recycling our items, I will admit to picking can and bottles out of the dumpsters and putting them in the recycling bins or returning them to the store if there is a deposit on them ($.05 each here). They just added the plastic bin this year, so I'm pretty excited about that.

I try and buy in bulk to use less packaging, and not buy over-processed foods that have tons of packaging. I try and re-use leftover food whenever possible.

I have been doing a lot of decluttering lately, and rather than throwing things out I have been either donating them to the Salvation Army or Freecycling them. I also have a few things that I've just given to friends and family (like coffee filters that don't work in my coffee maker - but fit in my mom's).

I save packing peanuts, bubblewrap, etc. and small boxes to give to my dad. He runs a small shop and it helps him out when he has to send something USPS or UPS.

We get cat litter in a refillable bucket - we can keep using the same buckets and get a small discount on the refill.

I try and do more things online or over the phone than by mail - like pay bills. Saves paper. I also try and go for online statements when I have the option to cancel paper ones.

I try and re-use things when I can - like if I sell something on eBay I'll reuse a box, or I'll use a piece of tin foil a few times. I'll save eggshells and coffee grounds and use them for fertilizer in the summer for my plants. I wish I had a big enough space I could compost.

[bumplett]

I just have to say - I love the terms "nappie" & "ice-lolly"

I try to recycle everything ~ I've been using yogurt containers & egg cartons to start my garden seeds in ~

I love freecycle! & my public library!

I'm going back to read the list again - I'm sure there is more I can be doing - I'm going to look into the composting - I've not tried yet due to the devil dog that eats everything!

[warramra]

That was a very neat website. I thought it was kind of cool that we did a lot already without thinking much about it.
- almost all the clothing for my children are hand-me-downs, only underwear is actually bought for them
- I either pass on clothing through freecycle/goodwill/or consignment shop for the dressy & nice pieces
- 90% of our furniture are castoffs from other family members
- We re-use whatever we can for children's crafts or hs projects (egg cartons, cardboard, foam from meat packaging, printer paper, plastic tubs, etc.)
- compost
- rechargeable batteries for as many things as possible
- We are changing over to energy-efficient light bulbs
- We are garden & use farmer's market during season
- I am crocheting grocery bags to use, shop a lot at stores that don't use bags
- bake/cook a lot of foods from scratch - reducing a lot of consumer waste
- What plastic grocery bags I have I use for diaper refuse containers
- Our community has curbside recycling pick-up which we use for most things
- We also recycle alum cans at recycling center
- We cancelled our newspaper subscription about 6 months ago, we share the Sunday paper with our neighbor - we share coupons and get enough paper to use for crafts our fire tender

- I am looking at switching ds over to cloth diapers and looking at female alternatives for me

My goal is for our family to leave the smallest "footprint" on the earth as possible

[jkelstaten]

I love cloth diapers!! We've been using them on DD#2 for a little over a year now. They work so much better than disposables and DD gets less rashes too. I'm already starting to buy diapers for the baby on the way.

We use rechargable batteries.
Reuse our water containers.
I use my own bags when shopping
Hand-me-downs
Mend clothing instead of throwing away

[kaykwilts]

Make as much stuff as possible from scratch.

I compost all my veggie and fruit scaps.

I know we could do more around here to reduce waste like using cloth napkins but I can't get the family onboard.

[Marie78]

We've been trying to reduce waste here:
Using our grocery bags from the store as garbage bags. I also bring them with me to the grocery store that doesn't bag my groceries, to bag them myself. I also take the bags that I don't need back to the store for recycle.

I recycle bottles and cans and paper. We have reduced our garbage to 1-1 1/2 bags per week. We don't use paper products except tp, I think this has helped to reduce the amount of garbage we have.

I have been using cleaning and health and beauty products sparingly in order to extend them. I have also been adding some water to hand and dish soap to dilute it a little and extend it.

I have also been using less laundry detergent and cutting my fabric softeners in 1/4. For bigger loads of laundry I will use 2 dryer sheets if necessary. I have been hanging more laundry to dry lately.

[kestrel91316]

Almost all my furniture is antique - the ultimate re-use!
No paper napkins for 20 years
No more than 1 roll of paper towels a year, average, for 10 years
Gold metal coffee filter for Melitta drip filter - 5 years
Loose tea rather than bags - 80% of the time, for 7 years
I recycle everything the city will take in the blue bins, even from my business - cardboard boxes, paper, bottles and cans, any plastics with the triangle thingie, even empty IV bags

I generate about one bag of trash a week.

[Libby]

We compost. We also have organic collection here which will take things like kleenex, popsicle sticks, paper cups, meat, bones, grease and dairy. We have a very good recycling program. All glass, plastic containers, styrofoam, tincans, tinfoil, all types of paper go in the recycle. We are only allowed 1 bag of garbage a week. Our family of 4 has no trouble sticking to it. Most of the garbage seems to be plastic bags and wrappers. We take our own bags to the stores. We bought the large blue bags they sell at IKEA and they are great. They take a lot of weight. Also if I am in a store and just buying a one or two things I ask them not to put it in a bag. I use J-cloths and wash them many times. I do have paper towels but use them sparingly (they can go in the organic garbage).

You're part of the greenbox system as well? I love it. Its taught me how much we do waste - even before I joined FV and since it started. I've played a game with myself to see how much less I can reduce weekly. So far I only have to take out the trash once every two wks (to the curb ladies, not outta the house LOL) - recycling too!

[geckoace]

wow organic trash.... canada rocks!

-we used cloth diapers for the first few months on my son.
-recycle everything the city will take
-im a crazy freecycler
-i canceled all but one mag subscription and get mine from freecyle or read them online.
-opted out of everything i could
-get online statements and am slowly converting DH
-i have my own grocery bags and i carry them as often as i can but i plan to get some chico bags to keep in my car...the ikea bags are a good idea at 99cents ill pick up a couple next time im there
-a good portion of our clothing and almost all of DSs come from thrift and consignment shops
-i try to buy in bulk or recylable containers
-we have a mulching mower so no grass clippings and DH mulches/ chips all the other yard waste and we use it around the shrubs
-im lazy about the library but have a network of like minded friends and we pass books around til everyone is done then take them to the free book table at my mom's job, freecycle them or donate them to The Book Thing (our local free bookstore)
-i print on scrap paper from my sisters job unless its a school report or a resume
-we salvage all the packing paper and use it to color
-got alot of our building materials from a salvage yard

planning to:
-join a CSA for locally grown fresh produce comes in one big box once a week
-start composting and start a small garden with DSs help