Each year, Australians produce 64 million tonnes of waste. It’s an overwhelming statistic, and it’s easy to feel defeated when it comes to doing your part. But we have some easy solutions you can incorporate into your life to reduce the amount of waste you produce in your home.
Invest in reusable bags
With the continued legislation to ban single-use plastic bags in supermarkets, food outlets, and retailers, it’s important to remember to bring your own reusable bags on a grocery trip.
There’s a variety of reusable shopping bags you can utilise. Stash a bunch of canvas tote bags in the back of your car so the next time you do a big shop at the supermarket, they’re right there. Don’t drive? Buy these compact reusable bags to store in your handbag or backpack. They even come in beautiful colours and patterns.
Do you use those thin plastic bags in the fruit and vegetable section? Buy these Onya produce bags to go the extra mile in reducing your waste.
Make a meal plan
Managing the groceries is one of the more time consuming and mentally taxing tasks of domestic life. And, if poorly planned, much of the food you buy can end up in the bin – Australians throw away around 3.1 million tonnes of perfectly good food every year.
Sit down on the weekend and schedule what meals you’ll make for this week. Try to opt for recipes which use similar ingredients. For instance, if you plan to bake an Asian-style fish dish which uses a lot of coriander and lemon, then choose to make these easy Vietnamese noodles for lunch.
The key is to plan your meals around versatile ingredients, preferably fresh and unpackaged wherever possible. So hit up the local farmer’s markets for homegrown food and remember to take those Onya bags with you!
Cancel unnecessary mail
One unsuspecting contributor to waste is mail. If you haven’t registered as a ‘no junk mail’ home yet, you should do so. Cancel subscriptions to magazines you no longer read, and register for online communications regarding all your bills.
Stop buying plastic water bottles/containers
Do you buy a lot of bottled water because you hate the taste of tap water? This is one of the easiest and most effective habits to kick if you want to reduce your wastage.
Invest in a couple of good reusable water bottles. Have one at home, and one in your bag so if you leave one at work or a friend’s house, then you’ve always got a spare. Purify your water using these affordable and eco-friendly charcoal sticks — they’re odourless, tasteless and nontoxic.
Once you’ve incorporated these easy strategies into your daily routine, make sure you don’t let your plans down by lacking in a good recycling system.
If you recycle properly, you’ll notice less garbage goes into the normal rubbish bin. Invest in a larger bin for recycling, and a smaller bin for your regular garbage to avoid menial tasks like having to empty your bins too frequently. This way, there’s no excuse to not recycle correctly.
Read more about other cheap and easy to install water filtration systems.
