Most of us know what reducing your waste looks like. Buying less items and making sure to throw things into the correct bin. There are many more ways to reduce your waste. This article will detail more ways to reduce your waste, financial impact, large scale impact, and how to talk to others about reducing their waste.
What You Can DO
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Research items before you buy them so you make the best decision before you buy. This can be looking at how the product is made or what the product is made of.
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Make choices about what you want to buy and how you are going to manage that item for its lifetime. If you do not buy the item, then you do not have to worry about maintaining it.
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Reduce your food waste by buying food that is sustainably sourced. Looking at labels and reducing the amount of food that you will not eat. Compost your food scraps. Eat less animal products as they contribute more greenhouse gas emissions. Here is a link to learn more about reducing food waste.
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Reuse your items from small things like bringing your own coffee cup or bag for groceries.
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Thrift or buy used items to get a longer lifespan from the product. Donate your items that you are no longer using as well. Here is a link to another article for more information about thrifting.
Here's a Youtube video on some more ways to reduce your waste.
Financial Benefits to Reduce
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Not buying useless items can help shave those extra dollars.
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According to a study done by USA Today, the average American adult spends $1,497 a month on nonessential items.
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Sorting between your wants and needs allows you to make decisions that will save you money, clutter, and time.
Large Scale Impact - Reduce Climate Change
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According to the EPA, each person creates about 4.9 pounds of trash a day. This totals to 292.4 million tons of municipal solid waste.
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Reducing your waste can help prevent climate change. Waste produced by humans has increased the frequency of natural disasters and negatively impacted wildlife, water resources, and agriculture.
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Reducing your waste reduces greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to a sustainable future for generations to come.
How to Talk to Others About Reducing Their Waste
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Use facts from sources that are well respected and unbiased. Politicizing the topic can draw people away from your conversation.
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When talking about how to reduce waste, avoid shaming others into following the same practice. No one responds well to abrasive tones. Instead of saying phrases like “you should” change that to “have you tried…”.
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Understand that not everyone has the same upbringing. A lot of people have not been exposed to sustainable practices. Setting an example and understanding that everyone is on their own journey allows for growth.