10 Things To Target To Reduce Household Waste
One of the areas that the Mayor of London and the London Assembly are focusing on is waste. This is because when you’ve got a city of about nine million people, there’s a lot of waste produced by all the homes and businesses (and as a professional rubbish collection company operating in London, we know this pretty well!). Apparently, Londoners are putting far too much out in the rubbish bin that really ought to be recycled or not even thrown away at all.
As a way of helping the city reach its waste reduction goals, maybe it’s time we all had a good look at what’s going into our rubbish bins and worked out ways to throw out less. However, before we get right into some ways that we can reduce our output of domestic rubbish, there’s something that we need to emphasise. Even if you want to stop things going to the landfill – good for you – putting things down the drains is even worse, whether you’re doing this via the Insinkerator or flushing things down the loo. We’ve all heard those disgusting horror stories about fatbergs in the sewers under the city, and these foul objects are created from the gunk that goes down the drains. Of course, you can’t really help a bit of old grease going down the drain from when you wash the dishes, but you can avoid flushing feminine sanitary products, for example.
We won’t even talk about those grotty prats who just throw rubbish into other people’s gardens or dump old beds in waterways… Nasty, nasty, nasty!
OK, so if you want to cut down on the amount of rubbish that your home produces, what are some things you target?
#1: Plastic Water Bottles
These are the big offenders when it comes to waste. Yes, I know it’s convenient to buy a bottle of water that slips into your bag easily. Yes, I’ve been caught out when I’ve gone out and about and forgotten to bring my refillable bottle and had to buy a bottle of water. I’ve also had one of those moments when I was eating out and considering my choice of drink, only to discover that the offerings were either sugary fizzy stuff in recyclable glass bottles or water in plastic bottles – grrr! However, maybe we need to change our thinking a bit when it comes to bottled water. If we have to buy bottled water, then we need to think of it as buying a bottle that happens to contain water, rather than buying water that happens to be in a bottle. Those bottles can be refilled again and again from the tap quite safely.
#2: Plastic Bags
There is no such thing as a single-use plastic bag, really. All plastic bags can be washed out and reused several times, even the ones referred to as single-use bags. OK, maybe not the ones that you’ve used to pick up dog poop when you’ve taken Rover for a walk in the park!
#3: Clingfilm
You might not be able to stop supermarkets and the like from wrapping everything in plastic film, but you can stop using it at home. If you used to use clingfilm to cover food in the fridge to stop everything smelling like salami, then try using airtight containers… repurpose a takeaway curry container or three, maybe. In the microwave, use china plates or glass to prevent splatters. In the case of food that you’re taking to share at a social do, then put the platter in a sturdy airtight container like a cake tin, or cover it with one of those beeswax wraps or a clean plastic bag – all three options can be washed and reused.
#4: Single Serve Food Packaging
Single-serve sachets are a waste nightmare. So are all those similar dinky packets of this and that? However, items that come in larger packets are just as easy to cook and prepare, and they often taste the same, so why create more waste by buying heaps of individual packages? It probably works out cheaper to buy the big bag anyway. If you like the carefully portioned-out serving sizes (e.g. mini crisp packets for children’s lunchboxes), it’s not that hard to grab a bunch of ziplock bags (you may not have to buy these – keep your eyes open and see how many you can salvage from other packaged foods) and make your own mini-portions.
#5: Travel-Sized Packaging
Yes, when you go on holiday, it’s easy to squeeze those little handy packs of shampoo and conditioner, etc., into your luggage. However, don’t forget that whether you’re heading to the other side of the world or merely a couple of hours away to the countryside, they sell shampoo and conditioner there as well. If, for some reason, you absolutely have to carry your own toiletries around with you everywhere rather than buying what you need at your destination, then look out for (either buying or repurposing) some small bottles of the right size and filling them from your larger bottles. Wash and reuse when you’re back!
#6: Disposable Razors
It’s cheaper for you in the long run as well as better for the environment if you switch to other ways to remove the fuzz from various body parts. Perhaps the gentlemen can try old-fashioned straight razors, while the ladies try waxing. Or both can use electric razors, either rechargeable, plug-in or battery-powered. OK, you can’t use an electric razor in the shower, but if you wear glasses, this is a plus.
#7: Paper Towels
Instead of using paper towels for wiping down the countertop and blotting up spills, use a rag. This is a double whammy in the waste reduction department because by using a torn-up old cotton T-shirt, towel or sheet as a cleaning rag, which can be washed and reused again and again, you’re keeping that out of the waste stream as well as the paper towels. You’ll save money as well!
Incidentally, paper towels, if you do use them, should never be flushed down the toilet. Toilet paper, yes. However, paper towels are a bit sturdier and don’t disintegrate when they hit the water.
#8: Feminine Hygiene Products
There are tons of alternatives out there these days so that women don’t have to create heaps of waste in the form of tampons and sanitary pads, from period undies to cups to washable pads. If you can’t quite bring yourself to go the whole hog, at least ditch the liners that, so the advertisers tell us, can be worn every single day of the month to keep you “fresh” and “protect your clothing”, not just on that particular week. Someone invented things to protect clothing and avoid the need to wash your skirt or trousers after just one wear a very long time ago; they’re called “underpants” (or knickers or…)
Feminine hygiene products shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet either.
#9: Plastic Bin Liners
You can just put your rubbish straight in the bin, you know! There’s no real need to line every single wastepaper basket in your house with a plastic bag. If something smelly or sticky gets on the inside of the bin and you feel that you need to get rid of it (you’re only going to put rubbish into there, not eat out of it), then it’s simple to rinse out the offending whatever it is with some warm water and ordinary detergent.
#10: Disposable Nappies
Gone are the days when cloth nappies consisted of squares of white material that you had to fold in a fancy way to store, then another way to get on the baby… and avoid sticking the baby with a pin while changing the nappy. Thanks to Velcro, clever designers, and even laundering services, using cloth nappies is so much easier than it used to be.