Waste Reduction Tips

Decrease your contribution to the waste stream by shifting your habits to become more sustainable

Image: Network for Business Sustainability

It is up to us to shift our consumption to be circular, rather than linear, as pictured above.

This post is intended to serve as a community hub for waste reduction tips that others have found helpful.

Think reusable!

Most single-use items can be replaced with reusable alternatives

(COVID-19 precautions often require the use of disposable items for sanitation--these are extenuating circumstances, and it's important to protect your health. Some of the suggestions below are better suited for non-pandemic times.)

• Bring reusable bags when buying groceries

• Much produce is sold in plastic wrapping. Produce bags can be reused many times to buy fresh produce without consuming more plastic

• Carry a reusable water bottle instead of using bottled water

• Bring your own mug and reusable straw if you think you'll need them

• Wear and wash a cloth mask instead of using disposable masks

• Buy secondhand: say no to fast fashion and new plastic! Thrift stores offer perfectly fine goods at great prices, without the ecological cost of new goods from online shopping, outlet malls, and big-box stores. You can fill your closet and kitchen with thrifted goods and decrease your ecological footprint at the same time. If your tastes change, you can re-donate everything and get whole new wardrobe without sending anything to the landfill! Most thrift stores either are charitable organizations themselves or support a good cause, and provide local jobs--money spent thrifting is money well spent.

• If you're treating yourself or someone else, consider a tasty treat instead of buying an object--a good meal with good people can bring as much, if not more, satisfaction than a physical gift (which may one day end up in the trash heap). Good memories, which last forever, are better than material things, which fall by the wayside. Money is better spent on, for example, tickets to concerts, plays, and other events than items, which we will eventually dispose of.