Easy Ways to Reduce Waste and Spend Less
Until last year when the city started city-wide trash pick-up, my family shared a garbage can with three other households. Parties or holidays occasionally caused an overflow, but most of the time it worked because we all generate so little waste. Cutting back on waste has the added benefit of reducing expenses, so here are some strategies that have worked for us. Some ideas are easier for some people than others, so start by picking a few that will work for you.
1. Plastic bags: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Most people have heard about the problems caused by plastic bags. The great news is that there are lots of easy ways to reduce plastic consumption, particularly when it comes to bags.
Reduce the number of plastic bags you bring into your home. Simply choose not to get a bag at all. Bring reusable bags (though this is not recommended during the COVID-19 pandemic). Take that box from Costco to another store or get a basket or bin that you can use to carry your items home. Produce can either go in a reusable mesh bag or just go straight into the cart without a bag at all.
Reuse the bags you do have. They are great for lining trash bins in the bathroom, picking up dog waste, or transporting wet/dirty clothes. Produce bags and old bread bags can be used instead of buying new plastic sandwich bags. Sometimes I will put the packaging from raw meat into an old produce bag and take it out to the trash so it doesn’t stink up the inside garbage. Reusing plastic bags has the added benefit of reducing the number of Ziplock or garbage bags that you need to purchase.
Recycle the plastic bags. Gather clean bags and bring them to the collection sites that can be found in grocery stores, Target, and many other locations.
While not using plastic bags at all is the best option, reusing and recycling are certainly better than throwing them away or having them end up in giant plastic islands in the ocean.
2. Reduce Food Waste
The USDA estimates that 30-40% of the food supply in the U.S. ends up as waste. That worked out to 218.9lbs of food waste per person in 2010. Put another way, the average family threw away $1600 worth of food. Think of all the time wasted searching for sales or clipping coupons!
Don’t overbuy. I am a HUGE fan of buying in bulk. We have a giant freezer and pantry in the basement to hold all the extra food we buy on sale. BUT, we do not buy things when we are not confident that it will all be used before it goes bad. We know that we can buy and use 15 jars of spaghetti sauce. On the other hand, 15 packages of strawberries on sale would rot before we could eat them all.
Make a plan for your leftovers. Some people are great at just reheating and eating leftovers directly (my husband), but I’m generally not a fan unless it is something like lasagna or soup. More often, I like to make leftovers into something else. Taco meat turns into nachos, steak or chicken goes into quesadillas, turkey goes in soup or sandwiches. If I make a huge batch of spaghetti sauce, I’ll freeze half of it. This way, it doesn’t go bad and there’s another easy meal for a day when I don’t want to cook.
Composting is another great way to reduce food waste, but it can be challenging for those without yards or are concerned about attracting wild animals. (I grew up with black bears rummaging around in the garbage and compost.) The good news is that it is getting easier all the time. More counties and municipalities are offering pickup or dropoff collection of food waste. If this or a backyard compost system is not an option for you, you could always contact your local representatives to get a program going.
3. Buy in bulk
Co-ops and some grocery stores offer ways to refill bulk items. You can bring in your containers and fill them up with anything from honey to pasta to herb/spices to oats. Essentially, you weigh your container before you fill it, write down the weight and the code, and then pay for the weight that you added. Herbs and spices can be significantly cheaper this way.
If you don't have access to these stores, you can purchase large containers rather than items that are individually packaged. Buy large containers of applesauce or yogurt and dish it into bowls. Larger bags or boxes can be divided into reusable containers or bags. I’ve been known to send my kids to school with old sour cream containers filled with crackers. When we go on car trips, I package up my own snack containers so we’re not buying single servings at convenience stores.
4. Make your own
Not everyone has the time or ability to make their own yogurt, bread, cleaners, etc, but this can be a great way to reduce waste AND save money. I can make five quart jars of yogurt for the cost of a gallon of milk and the only plastic generated comes from the milk jug. A loaf of amazing artisan bread can be made for pennies (and doesn't come in a plastic bag) using a simple no-knead bread recipe. I make my own homemade cleaning spray using a little dish soap and vinegar.
5. Reduce consumption
The best way to reduce waste is to not buy it in the first place. Drink water instead of juice or soda. Buy versatile, high quality pieces of clothing instead of falling for readily available, cheap, fast fashion. Use refillable water bottles, real silverware and plates, and make your own coffee. Give gifts of experiences. I for one am going to go cancel that subscription to the magazine I never have time to read…
You can find hundreds of ways to reduce waste if you bring a little awareness and intentionality to your lifestyle. Spend some time noticing things that you are throwing away and be creative in finding ways to reduce, reuse, or recycle. You might find that many of the things you end up throwing away are things that you really didn’t want to buy in the first place. Simply reducing the amount of “stuff” in your life can save you money and help you focus on the things that are really important to you.
