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Waste reduction is one of the most important steps we can take as individuals to cause less harm to the environment. But living in a pre-packaged world can make the task seem daunting. The good news is there are plenty of ways to reduce how much waste we produce on a personal level. Here are seven simple and efficient ways to waste less, reuse more, and save some money in the process:
Plan your meals before you shop
Planning your meals comes with several advantages. Since you’ll only buy as much as you need to cook the pre-planned meals, you will be wasting a lot less packaging. Also, if you’re deliberate, you can purchase more fresh produce, avoiding the metal and plastic packaging preserved groceries come in. You’ll also waste less food, which not only means less food thrown in the trash, but also less greenhouse gas emissions from the farms and factories your groceries come from and you’ll waste less water. Plus, think of all the money you’ll save!
Use the “first-in, first-out” rule
When you get home with a fresh batch of groceries, place them at the back of the shelf and put the older ones at the front so you won’t forget to use them. Whether we’re talking fridge, pantry, or freezer, placing newly bought items at the back will keep the foods with closer expiration dates at the top of your mind and remind you they need to be used first.
Switch to plain food items
There’s nothing like a bowl of granola or yogurt with fruit and oats to kick off your day in a healthy way. But too often, to satisfy our breakfast cravings, we purchase flavored yogurt, ready-made granola, several types of oatmeal, and much more. Instead of getting several individually packaged and pre-mixed items, purchase the plain versions of as many foods as you can, get some fresh or freeze-dried fruits, some flavorings like honey and peanut butter, and mix your own at home. You’ll waste less packaging and food and end up with healthier and cheaper meals.
Get refillable containers & on-the-go cutlery
How many plastic or paper coffee cups do you use every week? How many small water bottles do you buy? How many times have you used single-use sandwich bags or cling film? Ditch everything that you get single uses from and purchase durable containers for your lunches or sandwiches. Furthermore, get reusable on-the-go coffee mugs for your hot drinks as well as for water bottles for your cold drinks. When it comes to cutlery, get metal or wooden spoons, forks, and knives for your workplace, and buy some reusable straws!
Take your own packaging to the store
Just like you can use durable containers to store your foods and drinks on the go, you can get plenty of reusable items to shop with. Instead of getting paper or plastic bags at the store, get a reusable plastic bag made of recycled plastic, woven polypropylene, or nylon. Cotton totes aren’t your best option since it’s more damaging to produce them than just to get plastic, but they’ll do in a pinch. You could also get a couple of containers to avoid the plastic bags in the fresh produce section or skip individually packaging them altogether – if they’re not going to make a mess in your bag, just put them in there as is and gently wash them later. Lastly, if you can, find stores where you can buy items like oatmeal, cereal, and so on from a dispenser and bring your own containers.
Take your own packaging to the store
Just like you can use durable containers to store your foods and drinks on the go, you can get plenty of reusable items to shop with. Instead of getting paper or plastic bags at the store, get a reusable plastic bag made of recycled plastic, woven polypropylene, or nylon. Cotton totes aren’t your best option since it’s more damaging to produce them than just to get plastic, but they’ll do in a pinch. You could also get a couple of containers to avoid the plastic bags in the fresh produce section or skip individually packaging them altogether – if they’re not going to make a mess in your bag, just put them in there as is and gently wash them later. Lastly, if you can, find stores where you can buy items like oatmeal, cereal, and so on from a dispenser and bring your own containers.
Originally published on RENTCafé Blog.