Plastic nowadays seems to be a part of life as almost everything we purchase comes in this form or packaging. Although it’s impossible to deal with the issue overnight, various ways can help lessen plastic waste in your home to impact the environment positively.
If you’re wondering what happens to plastic after use, not all will go through proper waste disposal management. While a small amount gets recycled, the rest goes straight to landfills or as litter, ending in the oceans. Plastic waste takes years to disintegrate in landfills and oceans, and there’s growing concern about the contaminants it releases into the environment.
The continuously growing plastic waste issue is a global concern that’s difficult to fix. If you want to do your part, try implementing several changes in your household. It’s an initial step to help minimize the amount of plastic waste in the environment. Remember that making a small change to lessen plastic waste can make a difference in the long run. With that said, here are several ways to help minimize plastic waste at home:
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1 Hire A Skip Bin
A skip bin is a practical and environmentally-friendly choice if you want to minimize the plastic waste from your home.
Reliable skip bin providers can ensure all wastes will go through proper disposal by transporting them to waste processing or recycling centers. You’ll have peace of mind knowing your wastes will go through appropriate disposal. If you’re planning on hiring a skip bin any time soon, you might want to read more here to learn about skip bins in your area.
2 Promote Good Recycling Habits At Home
Make recycling a habit at home. Make sure that all family members know the basics of reducing, reusing, recycling, and repurposing. You can designate a recycling station in your kitchen or garage while educating family members on what materials should go into each bin. Don’t forget to ask your local municipality about their recycling programs and pick-up schedules.
3 Bring A Reusable Shopping Bag
Every year, plastic bags from groceries contribute to the waste in the environment. Today, disposable shopping bags are no longer allowed in several places. It might be time to consider using a reusable shopping bag when buying groceries to minimize waste. You can find different reusable bag materials such as cloth, wicker, or paper. Make sure to always bring one along when leaving the house.
4 Switch To Reusable Containers
If you have been using plastic containers to store food, it might be time to think twice if you want to lessen the plastic waste your household produces.
You can opt for reusable containers to store food, ideally, those made of glass or steel. Although most tend to reach out for plastic containers or bags, they’re detrimental to the environment. Additionally, plastic containers can contaminate your food over time.
5 Go For Environment-Friendly Refill Packs
Having several disposable bottles of cleaning and hygiene products at home can lead to more plastic waste at landfills.
It might be time to consider refilling the original bottles of the products you’re using instead of buying the same bottles every time you shop for groceries. On your next grocery trip, buy refill packs and conveniently refill your products at home.
6 Avoid Plastic Water Bottles And Straws
A large number of plastic bottles in landfills and oceans pollute the environment. As mentioned before, it takes years for plastic to degrade completely. If you’ve been purchasing plastic water bottles for some time, consider breaking the habit and go for reusable bottles or flasks you can conveniently refill throughout the day.
Among the plastic waste, straws also make up a significant percentage of waste in landfills. Millions of straws are used daily all over the globe. The best thing you can do is to avoid using straws. If you need to use one, go for a paper straw or a reusable steel straw.
7 Shop In Bulk
In most homes, the majority of plastic waste comes from the kitchen. One of the best ways to minimize the packaging waste that comes with the products from your weekly grocery is by buying in bulk. Purchasing in bulk reduces product waste from the individual packaging.
8 Avoid Using Wet Wipes
Using wet wipes adds up to the plastic waste your home produces. Although wet wipes appear as paper towel or cloth, it has a composition of various types of plastics. There are also instances where wet wipes can cause clogging issues in your toilet when flushed. It’s best to switch from wet wipes to microfiber towels or rags.
9 Switch To Cloth Diapers
Today, disposable diapers comprise a certain percentage of non-biodegradable waste in landfills. With this in mind, consider switching from disposable to cloth diapers. Doing so will make a significant impact in minimizing plastic waste in landfills.
Although cloth diapers can be a challenge to new parents, they won’t be an issue once you get the hang of them. An advantage is that the upfront cost of investing in cloth diapers will be lower than the overall cost you’ll spend for the disposable ones. In case the cleaning task of cloth diapers is challenging for you, there are pick-up washing services you might want to check out.
Final Thoughts
Plastic waste has been a source of concern in many households, contributing to global waste. If you want to play a part in environmental preservation, you can start with your daily routine and the products you use at home. With the help of these tips, regardless of whether you’ll hire a skip bin, switch to reusable products, or practice recycling, you can help minimize the plastic waste that ends up in landfills or oceans.