Some people might not know how much rubbish they contribute daily, especially from households. According to statistics, an average Australian can produce 540 kg of household waste per year. That’s more than ten kilograms of waste for every person each year. Out of the estimated 67 million tons of rubbish generated, only 37 million tons are recycled, leaving the remaining disposed of in a landfill.
The problem of waste disposal globally is growing day by day, which contributes to the pressing issue of climate change. Of course, the burden shouldn’t be placed on ordinary consumers but on the big corporations that are still left unchecked to this day. But individual efforts could go a long way, especially if it’s accumulated.
This individual effort could start in your household, so here are the smart ways to remove household rubbish:
Get Going With Recycling
This might be the most obvious and the easiest way to reduce waste in your home. You have to make sure you’re recycling everything at home. Although this takes an extra effort, it’s still worth it because it’ll lessen your expenses in the long run. As for the items that you don’t need anymore, you can take them down to your local recycling center.
- Ensure you thoroughly wash the items before putting them into the recycling bin.
- Always double-check the contents of your recycle bin as some items may not be recyclable anymore. For instance, some bottle caps can’t be recycled as quickly as the bottle itself. You should separate these parts and put them along with non-biodegradable items.
- Don’t forget that some local recycling centers might not take other items like electronics. You might want to check the website of your local recycling center if they have one. Many electronics should never go in the garbage because they contain chemicals like lead, mercury, and chromium. So, before discarding your old phones, see to it that they’re appropriately recycled in your local recycling center.
Upcycle
One of the clever ways to remove rubbish from your home is by upcycling. While most of you are more familiar with recycling plastic bottles and textiles, upcycling might be new.
Upcycling means recycling or reusing something old to create something new. When you upcycle, you increase the original object’s value. Some examples are using reclaimed wood to make a piece of furniture or using plastic bottles to make shoes. You can use your DIY skills to transform things from unconventional materials.
Start Composting
Composting is a great way to reduce your household’s food waste. Instead of going to a landfill to produce toxic gases like methane, why not use it as a fertilizer in your garden? Biodegradable waste like food scraps can be degraded properly instead of remaining above ground when composting.
Making a compost pile in your home garden will take time before acquiring its benefits like saving money because you don’t have to buy fertilizer anymore for your garden.
So, what are the things you can put in your compost pile?
- fruit and vegetable peelings
- biodegradable coffee filters and coffee grounds
- grass and plant clippings
- dry leaves and finely chopped wood
- shredded newspaper
This invaluable method of reducing food waste in your home garden is good for the environment. Once it stops giving off heat and becomes dry, crumbly, and brown, it’s ready for you to use it.
Shop Products With Minimal Packaging
You might want to note choosing food items and products with little or no packaging, such as vegetables and fruits. As for your next trip to a supermarket, you should consider buying things in bulk instead of smaller versions. It’s cheaper, making grocery shopping take less of your time because you’ll rarely run out of goods. Some local shops let you bring your reusable containers to fill them up on your own.
Host A Yard Sale
The quickest way of getting rid of the things you no longer use or don’t want anymore is by hosting a free yard sale. Just place your stuff outside your house and put a ‘free’ sign. There’s always someone who needs something from you that you no longer need. This is an excellent start to decluttering your home. Of course, the items you include in your ‘free’ yard sale are things that other people can still use. Otherwise, no one will pick it up.
Final Thoughts
Change starts from the inside. This should be the mantra of every person in the world to overturn the growing dilemma of waste disposal. Changing what you can control is the easiest part before you expect to change the world of its ways. And that should start with your cleaning habits in your home. The tips mentioned above should be an excellent place to start reducing your household waste.
