4 Ways to Reduce How Much Waste You Create

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In 2022, more people are beginning to become environmentally conscious than ever before. From educational efforts in school systems to an increase in government conservation plans, reducing waste and helping the environment is becoming a major world topic, so how can you help? Here are four great ways to reduce how much waste you create and do your part to conserve the environment.

Compost or recycle

The simplest way to reduce the amount of waste you create is just to compost and recycle. This doesn’t require you to think or plan ahead as some other options for waste management, as it’s as easy as just being mindful of which bin you throw your food scraps and recyclables in.

If you have a garden, be sure to compost leftover food to turn it into fertile soil. If you live in a large city and don’t have the space for a garden, reach out to local school agriculture programs or community gardens. Many of these actually accept composted soil, especially schools registered with the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco Schools program.

Meal prep

Meal prepping is not only a great way to stay healthy and save money, but it can also be a valuable method for decreasing the amount of waste you create. By planning for meals ahead of time and preparing meals for a full week in one day, you’re much less likely to waste food.

Try to choose recipes that use full containers of food, like a whole can of vegetables or a block of cream cheese. This way, you won’t have to worry about trying to find a use for leftover ingredients. If you’re trying to learn to cook, consider blocking out your cooking schedule with recipes that use similar ingredients. For example, try cooking Mexican food for several weeks, and it’ll be easier to use leftover ingredients in later dishes.

Buy used items

Used clothing items are some of the most common items that fill up landfills, so by purchasing used clothes from thrift shops or garage sales, you can help reduce waste.

As a general rule of thumb, never throw your old clothes away in the trash. Many items, especially designer goods or pieces that are still in almost-new condition, can be sold online to make some of your money back. If you don’t have the time or you don’t care to try and sell your used things, just drop them off at a thrift store or donation center.

Go electronic with bills and statements

As part of a large corporate push to reduce paper usage, many financial companies now offer virtual bills and account statements emailed to you instead of sent on paper through the mail. Check your bank and credit card accounts to see if this is an option.

It can be good practice to save certain financial documents, but storing lots of paper can quickly become messy and irritating. Getting all your paperwork electronically eliminates this problem, as you can simply save files to your computer or a cloud-based document storage service.