Considering the high levels of consumer item production, the heavy use of non-biodegradable materials, and the negative impacts all that has on the environment, waste recycling and reduction have become a matter of safety toward oneself and nature.
Although more and more recycling facilities have been built and people pay greater attention to what gets added to their bin, it’s still not enough to significantly reduce the negative impacts of producing perhaps too much and using non-biodegradable materials. Many of the packages and items we use today take a lot to biodegrade, if they ever do in some cases.
That’s why thinking ahead is also part of an eco-friendly mindset. Besides recycling waste, you can considerably reduce it by adopting various healthier alternatives to non-biodegradable products.
What to consider when shopping
The first step to help you reduce waste is to not make it actually. Therefore, when you go shopping, you might want to select the products that get added to your shopping cart not only based on their quality but also on the packaging featured. It is ideal to go for reusable packagings such as glass jars or shop items that come with a paper or cardboard packaging.
If you want to buy a new set of headphones or a new handheld telescope, besides going over a review of the most popular products, consider the material used for the product’s packaging. If you find items of similar quality that come in either a cardboard box or a plastic shell, you might want to go for the first version.
Plus, if you have a canvas shopping bag at home, make use of it to store your groceries or the various products you buy. Avoid shopping items featuring plastic packaging, plastic containers for foods, and similar products.
Make use of cloth items as much as possible
The market now offers a variety of items designed for cleaning, eating, and carrying out various household chores. Instead of building up more waste, try to use cloth items for such needs. For example, you can use the clothes you don’t wear anymore to make rags for cleaning. You can also cut an older towel into smaller parts and thus make hand towels instead of buying new pieces.
Reuse the various items you already have. Buy food that comes in jars you can later use to store other foods or spices. You will thus save money, reduce waste, and bring your own contribution to the reduction of the negative impacts today’s various industries have on our environment.
A few more tips
Learn the basics of waste recycling and reduction and be creative when applying them or simply browse the web if you’re running out of ideas. For example, instead of storing leftovers in plastic containers, you can just cover the bowl with a plate.
As we’ve said before, you can always use glass jars to help you store food and if they tend to get an odor from what you’ve stored, you can easily wash them with hot water and white vinegar.
Reduce the number of products you buy and get the things that you really need. Think twice before ordering something. Go for e-books instead of paper books and choose rechargeable batteries over alkaline batteries.
If you still have waste that you cannot reuse and should be properly recycled, then make sure you contact a waste recycling facility that can help you with that. Select your waste according to the regulations in your country. By doing so, you will help those that recycle the waste and do your own bit for living in a healthier world and reducing the negative effects of improper waste management.