You’re probably already recycling your waste, separating the paper from the plastic bottles and the food waste. But there are plenty more things you can do to make your home more environmentally-friendly.
Why you should reduce your kitchen waste
There are many good reasons to do more than just recycle your waste. Although a growing number of people now separate their plastics from other waste types, over 86 percent of waste still ends up in a landfill. When you get into the habit of minimizing the amount of rubbish you produce in the first place, you actively help make a difference to lower your carbon footprint. It takes just a few small changes to make a lasting difference. Here are some ideas.
Buy products in eco-friendly packaging or without packaging
If you’re trying to reduce the amount of household waste you produce, you can choose to shop for products that are packaged in reusable or easily degradable containers. Some grocery stores now also offer shoppers the opportunity to bring their own storage containers to transport products like loose grains, pulses, tea leaves and coffee in.
Grow your own food
One of the best ways to reduce food waste is to grow your own. You can easily reuse kitchen waste for example to grow edible plants. Spring onions, ginger and basil are all great options to get started. And once you get into it, you’ll soon be expanding your home garden to plant tomatoes and potatoes.
Only buy what you need
If you tend to buy too many perishable goods, you’re not alone. We often tend to buy more foods than we can eat before the expiry date. Rather than doing one big shopping trip once every two weeks, it may be a better idea to shop more frequently but only purchase a certain number of items. When you’ve got fewer items to eat, you’ll be sure to throw away less food.
And while you’re at it, remember to bring your reusable fabric bags. You’ve no doubt got a cupboard full of plastic bags at home so the last thing you – or the environment – needs is one more. Invest in a fabric bag that folds up really small so you can pop it in your purse and have no excuse to forget it the next time you buy groceries.
Reuse your food waste
Did you know that coffee grounds make for a great fertilizer? If you have a garden, you could collect your food waste in a little caddy and compost it. This way, you’ll be consistently reusing your food waste and putting it to good use. Food scraps like coffee, tea leaves, eggshells, fruit and vegetable scraps all make for a great basis for new soil. On the other hand, dairy products, condiments, grains, meat, and bread leftovers do not make good compost. Stale bread can be used to make breadcrumbs or cut into squares and microwaved to make croutons. Bones from meat need not be thrown away either – why not freeze them and use them for stock when needed?
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