It is a new year, a new decade and a great opportunity to adopt a ‘green lifestyle’. But how do we get started? A little change in how you get rid of things is an easy way to go ‘Green Living’. Minimizing your waste is a big ‘green’ step. Instead of relying on the landfill …
Re-use.
Recycle.
Reuse
It is also indicated as ‘Avoid Landfill’.
Unfortunately, we have become a disposable society where we use something once and throw it away. Nothing good comes out of it. We must be more ecological.
Start thinking like your grandparents or great-grandparents who lived during the Depression and during the rationing of World War II. Everything was scarce. Everything was appreciated and never wasted.
Here are some simple and easy ways to minimize the amount of stuff you throw away.
Always have your own reusable bags on hand. Not just at the grocery store, but also at the hardware store, pharmacy, and anywhere else you buy things. These reusable bags fold into practically nothing, so you should ALWAYS have a few available in the car.
Opt for receipts sent by email or text messages, not printed.
Choose products or purchase options with the most environmentally friendly packaging possible. There’s nothing like getting something in that awful hard plastic surrounded by bubble wrap in a much larger cardboard shipping box than you need. Especially if you could get the same item at the local hardware store and take it home in your pocket (or in a reusable bag that you always carry with you …). You get the idea.
There are many options for selling things online, so make it a habit.
Instead of throwing used furniture in the landfill, donate or consign it. Take a look at YouTube University and find out how to turn things into something new. I saw an adorable way an old-fashioned dresser was turned into a pet bed!
Compost your kitchen debris. It’s easy (doesn’t smell) and makes a great fertilizer. Composting can be done directly into a hole in the ground or into a five gallon bucket on the apartment balcony. All you need to do is add some real soil and turn it frequently. (Once it “smells” like dirt, composting is complete and can be used to cover existing plants.) You’ll be amazed at a compost pile for two reasons: 1). The drastic reduction of garbage going to the landfill and 2). How much the volume decreases as it goes through the composting process.
Instead of throwing away shipping baskets or containers, use them in other ways – a peach basket works great for organizing the bathroom, children’s toys, magazines, etc.
Speaking of magazines and other print materials, subscribe to them online.
Shop at consignment and thrift stores when possible. A man’s trash can certainly be your treasure.
For a green life, challenge yourself to put as little in the landfill as possible!