The average American throws away three and a half pounds of trash each day. If you were to dig a hole the size of a football field and throw all of America’s trash into it over the course of a single year, the hole would need to be a hundred miles deep to accommodate it all. And we’re running out of landfill space—our landfills are closing at a rate of about one per day across the country.
What can you do to help? Follow these tips to reduce your household waste. About a third of America’s trash consists of product packaging, so most of these tips focus on reducing the amount of packaging you buy.
- Look for minimal packaging. First and foremost, try to buy items with the least amount of packaging possible.
- Choose aluminum, tin, or paper. If you have to buy packaged goods (and it’s nearly impossible not to), opt for these three types of packaging, as they are easily recyclable. Avoid products packaged with a mix of materials—for example, paper with an aluminum lining—since these cannot be recycled.
- Watch your plastic bags. Bring your own reusable bag when you go to the grocery store. Millions of plastic bags are discarded annually. If you must use the store’s bags, avoid letting the clerk double- or triple-bag your items.
- Avoid plastic packaging. Plastic is one of the most difficult materials to recycle, as many recycling centers don’t process it.
- Avoid disposables. In the twentieth century, manufacturers created a “disposable economy”—cheap products designed to be used once or twice and then thrown away. This benefits companies financially but leads to more waste in landfills. Whenever possible, avoid disposable products. Choose cloth napkins instead of paper, cloth diapers instead of disposables, and metal or ceramic dinnerware instead of plastic and paper. Always opt for items that last.
- Buy in bulk. The more you buy in one package, the less packaging you waste. Whenever possible, purchase in larger quantities to reduce packaging waste.
- Reuse whenever you can. Reuse old packaging and goods when possible. Glass jars can serve as drinking glasses, pencil holders, or storage containers. Plastic and paper bags can be reused for future trips to the grocery store. Plastic tubs can substitute for Tupperware. Old bedding and clothes can be turned into rags or rag rugs.
- Borrow or rent instead of buying. If you only need a big ladder once a year, borrow it from a neighbor. Borrowing items you don’t use every day can reduce both your trash and household clutter. If you need a high-ticket item, like a steam cleaner, consider renting it instead of buying.
- Keep things in good repair. Many people throw out old items because of small, fixable issues, or simply because they no longer want them. Don’t discard old shoes—take them to a shoe repair shop. Get a ripped coat sewn. Don’t toss out your old TV when you buy a new one—donate it to a thrift store. Whenever possible, give away old clothes, shoes, and household items to thrift stores instead of throwing them away. This helps families in need and keeps your items out of landfills.
- Compost. A significant portion of our landfills is filled with leaves in plastic bags. While leaves are biodegradable, the plastic bags are not. When you do yard work, avoid putting leaves, grass clippings, and branches in plastic bags. Instead, create a compost heap to decompose your yard waste. The compost can then enrich your garden soil.
- Recycle. Recycling is more important than ever. Cardboard, paper, glass, and aluminum are all recyclable—never throw aluminum foil or cans in the trash. If recycling isn’t available in your neighborhood, start a recycling club. The funds collected from turning in aluminum cans could even help cover the cost of starting a program.
- Get off junk mailing lists. Many of us receive large amounts of junk mail every day—and we often throw it away automatically. While it’s a good idea to recycle this mail, some envelopes are laminated or contain plastic. It’s better to remove yourself from these mailing lists altogether. Call the companies sending you junk mail and ask them to remove your name from their lists.
We are running out of space in our landfills, and our trash problems will only worsen if we don’t come up with better ways to manage our waste. These tips can help you reduce household waste and make your home greener.
