Many items are used every day and we then dispose of them in the trash. This leads to a lot of garbage, both from the old and new items. To reduce landfill waste means reducing the amount that ends up in overflowing landfills. The most popular ways to reduce landfill waste are to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Landfill waste is a problem because of its economic and environmental impacts. Second, it takes thousands of years to decompose. This means that many acres of land have already been rendered practically useless and could have been used for new industries or residential colonies.
Although most people believe they are good at recycling and conserving, the reality is that Americans make far more trips each year to the dumps than they realize. Although we all believe recycling and reusing items is a good idea, the question is whether we actually do it. These are the steps you can take in order to make fewer trips to the dump each year.
1. Donate Clothes
It is shocking to realize that clothing waste is one of our biggest contributors to landfills. We go through our closets and find clothes we don’t need anymore. This could be a sweater from last year, a ripped top, or clothes we simply don’t like to keep. It goes where? It goes to the trash, then to the landfill. Make sure you don’t have any clothes left. Donate clothes to Goodwill or people in need, or have a garage sale (assuming that the clothes are still usable). It’s true what they say: Another man’s trash can be another man’s pleasure.
2. Reduce Food Waste
Another item we tend to forget about is food. A large portion of the food we buy is wasted each year. Don’t throw away food. Make good use of it. Millions of people in need would be fed if we just kept a fraction of the food that was not used and gave it away.
3. Eat Healthy
You can also eat healthier. Purchase healthier food that doesn’t need as much packaging. For maximum efficiency, reuse old shopping bags and containers. Better yet, use cloth bags. Do not eat fast food takeout.
4. Reserve Leftovers For The Next Day
Do not forget to save the leftovers! Many people throw away half of their good meals and don’t save the rest for later. You will be able to save money by eating leftovers more often and reduce food waste. Make it a habit of storing leftovers in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch and dinner.
5. Get Things in Less Packaging
Also, you can stock up on food by freezing it. You can also buy a lot of food and keep it in the freezer. Don’t purchase more food until your freezer is full. Also, bulk food purchases mean less packaging and less waste.
6. Resist Plastic Water Bottles
Every day, millions of plastic water bottles are being thrown away. You don’t want to be one of these people. Switching to reusable glass bottles will save you a boatload of money. You will also be putting a lot fewer empty (and empty) water bottles in the trash. This will help you to reduce the number of bottles that end up in landfills and the amount of plastic at the bottom of our oceans.
7. Just Don’t Buy As Much Stuff
Although it is tempting to purchase as many things as you can afford if your goal is to reduce the number of trips to the landfill each and every year, buying less stuff will drastically cut down on these trips. You need to reevaluate your priorities. Rethink your priorities. Be mindful of what you discard.
8. Recycle
Don’t throw away your old aluminum cans or glass bottles. Recycle them instead. You can place any old soda cans or paper, metal, and plastic cups in a recycling bin at your home. Nearly all cities have a recycling station. Make more trips to the recycling station than to the landfill.
9. Buy Items Made from Recycled Products
You can make a difference by buying products made from recycled materials. This fact is often advertised by advertisers to let you know that you’re actually helping reduce landfills. This will be a great example to your family members and friends and encourage them to buy recycled products.
10. Clean Smarter
Baking soda and vinegar are better choices than buying products from the market to clean your drains. Baking soda can be used in many ways and neither vinegar nor baking soda will harm the environment. You can save money on cleaning products and cans.
11. Composting
It is a simple and natural process that turns plant remains and kitchen waste into nutrients that help plants grow. Compost is organic material that has been gathered together and decomposed. Composting allows you to recycle kitchen waste and decreases the amount that is sent into landfills. This is safe for the environment.
12. Reuse
Bring an old shopping bag along with you when you go shopping. A shopping bag that isn’t too old can be used to replace many plastic bags that end up in landfills. You can recycle empty wine and beer bottles by making lamps, oil, and vinegar dispensers, or sending them to recycling centers.
13. Buy Rechargeable Batteries
Rechargeable batteries can save you money over the long term and keep disposable batteries from going to landfills. The environment can be very damaged by disposable batteries, as the chemicals in the batteries can leach.
14. Buy Items Packaged in Recycled Cartons
Reuse cartons from recycled packaging to package your products. Old newspapers are also great packaging material. This promotes recycling.
15. Get Involved
…get involved. Talk to your neighbors and visit pro-recycling websites. Families, friends, neighbors, and anyone else can help. You can make a difference and others may follow your example.
Tote Enterprises, is a waste management, and Pinellas County recycling company that addresses issues facing private clients and businesses.
This includes construction debris, discarded materials, and other general household garbage.
Who picks up trash in my area? Tote Enterprises is the trash pick-up service for you. Tote Enterprises can also provide trash disposal and refuse removal services by being a hauler for general household trash. Tote Enterprises provides a standard service to haul household trash from the residential areas to its central location. There is no place in our lives for trash. Tote Enterprises is your partner in residential waste management. Contact us today!
