5 Steps to Reduce Waste at Home
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We live in a time when waste is so prolific and yet so easily overlooked. Though tempted, I'm not going to harp on how devastating it is. We all know our consumerism culture creates countless tragic consequences, including an abundance of trash. And I'm just as guilty as the next person when it comes to the amount of garbage that I've sent to landfills over the years. Instead of dwelling on the negative, today I'm taking all my existing knowledge about trash, recycling and compost, and turning it into a system by which our family can reduce our production of waste, as much as possible. I am including five steps to get started on organizing the waste generated from our homes. It's a process that takes constant work, research and improvement, but it's so worth it. We all owe it to ourselves, our communities, the environment and generations to come to take steps each day to minimize our waste. Oftentimes, in the process, you can simultaneously reduce your toxin intake, while boosting your health, and saving money. It's a win-win-win!
Photo caption: The mason jar in the middle of the photo above contains homemade deodorant, made with the ingredients seen in the photo. By making deodorant in a reusable mason jar, I can cut down on store-bought plastic deodorant containers. While the two bags on the right containing baking soda and arrowroot powder are plastic and cannot be recycled, in the future, I’ll be sure to purchase the items in compostable or recyclable containers.
Step 1: Make as many home goods items as you can.
Often when putting effort into assembling a homemade product, you'll use items that you already have on hand, while avoiding all the packaging in which said product would have arrived. My favorite example of this is home cooking. When purchasing ingredients for a meal directly from farmers, packaging is greatly minimized in comparison to the foods purchased from grocery stores, especially if you bring your own reusable bags and containers when picking up your food. Even when food from a farmer does come in a container, such as egg or produce cartons, it's often possible to bring those containers back to the farmer for reuse. We purchase raw milk directly from a farmer and the milk comes in 1/2 gallon (1.89 liter) glass mason jars, which are reused each week. Most of the items in a grocery store, along with all restaurant takeaways, come in packaging that has no other purpose, but to be discarded. Although, in terms of takeaways, with some extra effort, you can sometimes bring your own containers. By growing some of your own vegetables, herbs and fruits, and shopping directly from farmers, and then cooking from scratch at home and disposing of food scraps in a compost bin, you can eliminate a very large amount of waste, in comparison to shopping at grocery stores or eating out.
Photo caption: We purchase raw milk from a local farmer who delivers the milk in reusable glass mason jars. We return the bottles after use and they are sanitized and reused for future milk deliveries. The milk stays so fresh and delicious in the glass containers, and as an added bonus, we aren’t ingesting toxins leached from plastic containers.
In terms of beverages, it’s a great idea to bring your own drinks wherever you go, preferably in a glass or stainless steel container. Wiehan makes lattes from home that are way better than any other cafe, hands down. (The secret ingredient is the fresh, raw milk.) By learning how to make quality coffee at home, with quality ingredients, think of how many disposable coffee cups could be avoided! And likewise, by carrying water with you in a reusable bottle when you’re on the go, imagine how much energy is saved by avoiding the production of disposable plastic water bottles! As I’ve often mentioned in blog posts, Lifefactory glass water bottles are my favorite. And for travel coffee mugs, Wiehan received this one as a Christmas gift several years ago and it works very well.
As another example, making DIY items, such as deodorant, moisturizer or room spray, cuts down on buying the same pre-made products over and over from the store, and throwing out all the used containers, when those pre-made products have been used up. I make my own deodorant, which requires baking soda, tallow, arrowroot powder, and essential oils. While those 4 items do come in containers, I only use a small portion of each item for one batch of deodorant, which is stored in a small, reusable mason jar and lasts for months. Since beginning to make my own deodorant last year, I no longer send store-bought plastic deodorant containers to the recycling bin. And in the future, I’ll look for those ingredients in compostable or recyclable containers.
Photo caption: Egg cartons are an excellent example of purchasing an item in a container that can be reused repeatedly by a farmer and can eventually be composted after the carton is well-worn. I also like to use egg cartons to plant seedlings for the vegetable garden, rather than buying seed trays.
Step 2: Avoid purchasing items that come in packaging that can't be recycled, composted or reused.
When you do have to buy something, avoid items that come in containers that can't be reused countless times (ie: mason jars), composted (ie: paper bags or cardboard) or as a last resort, recycled (ie: some plastics and metals). Because of the way that consumerism culture is set up, this is a REALLY difficult restriction to place on yourself. And it may take years to achieve this goal. So be patient with yourself and do what you can. If there are items that come in trash-only packaging, that you just can't live without, contact the company that manufactures that product and tell them that you'd really like it if they could either change their packaging to be more eco-friendly or to offer a package-free option. Last fall, I contacted my favorite clothing company Pact, with a request for plastic-free, minimal packaging. They are a company committed to the environment, so it's no surprise that I received a very positive response back, that they are already in the process of switching to biodegradable bags. And on that note, I also just want to point out that when you buy Mountain Road apparel, your order arrives plastic-free, in a compostable bag. Yay!
Step 3: Learn what can be composted and what can be recycled.
Because we are all going to continue to purchase at least some packaged items for our homes, offices, gifts, etc., it's important to know how to handle all the packaging in which those items come. The list of items that can be composted are universal. However, items that can be recycled are very much dependent on your region, as well as your specific waste collection company. As an example, glass is often a recyclable item. However, our county no longer accepts glass in residents' recycling bins, but does collect glass bottles in purple bins, strategically placed around the county. Step 3 requires some research, but may be as simple as a quick internet search, especially when determining if, for example, cotton swabs are compostable. Keep in mind that as far as I understand, while plastic bags have been collected for recycling in the past at special collection locations in the U.S., such as grocery stores, they are not actually being recycled and instead are burned, which is harmful to the atmospherel. I learned this from the grocery store I frequent, MOM’s Organic Market. The company TerraCycle offers both free and paid recycling options, but the act of mailing waste doesn’t make any sense to me, in that it uses the energy of the transportation vehicles, and it requires a shipping container. It’s better to follow steps 1 and 2 as much as possible, rather than mailing your garbage. But as a last resort, it might be something to consider.
In the future, I want to create a blog post and video that concentrate completely on composting, but in the meantime, here are some common items that you can toss in your compost:
Common items from your home that can be discarded into a regular home compost bin:
Vegetarian food scraps (no meat, bones, grease, oil or dairy)
Egg shells
Tea bags
Coffee grounds
Shredded paper, except for colored or glossy paper
Unbleached tissues
Unbleached paper plates
Unbleached paper towels
Natural fabric
Cardboard, without stickers and plastic tape
Cotton balls and cotton swabs (unless they have plastic wands)
Cork
Hair; pet fur; nail clippings
Non-glossy junk mail (remove plastic windows or fake credit cards before adding to compost)
Old flowers from bouquets
Common items from your yard that can be composted:
Grass clippings
Twigs & branches
Leaves
Untreated wood chips
Pine cones
Old potting soil
Wood ashes (but not coal ashes)
Miscellaneous yard waste
Just make sure all of the above has not been treated with chemicals. And again, if you're not sure about an object, just search online and you'll probably be able to find the answer pretty easily. Please note that anything like compostable bags, cups or utensils should go to an industrial compost management facility, rather than a home compost, which is not hot enough for proper break down. And if you're wondering about those stickers on vegetables and produce - those are definitely not compostable. I've found tons of them when digging through my aged compost pile. Send the stickers to the trash instead. (Just another example of why growing your own food or shopping direct from a farmer limits waste.)
Step 4: Set up a disposal system that works for your home.
This is the main reason why I'm writing this blog post. I've learned a lot over the years regarding steps 1-3, however, without a proper system in place, I often go the easy route of just throwing things in the trash can when I don't have an easier disposal method. The system will have to vary from home to home, based on size. For the sake of the video and blog post, I'm going to set up a system that will work in a small apartment or tiny house. However, that system can be scalable. If you live in a large home, and particularly a multi-level home, you'll probably need to create several disposal spots - perhaps on each level of the home.
What you'll need for your disposal system:
1 Recycling bin (I use a cardboard box)
1 Trash can
1 Compost container for non-perishable items (I use a paper bag)
1 Small, easily accessible compost bin for perishable items
Large, outdoor compost bin
Paper shredder or scissors for cutting up junk mail (optional)
Labels (index cards, masking tape, marker)
Your recycling bins, trash cans, and compost containers can be anything really. I like to use a paper grocery bag for my non-perishables compost container, a cardboard box for recycling and a regular plastic trash can for all other waste. Get creative and look around your house for containers that will work. Or if you want a sleek look, consider a three-in-one trash receptacle. You may want to label each container with Recycling, Compost, and Trash, with the use of index cards, masking tape and a marker. Perhaps you might also want to write or print out a list for each container of common items in your household that are frequently disposed, to help everyone adjust to the new system. If you live in a smaller home, the process is pretty easy. However, if you live in a large home, it gets a little more cumbersome. You may want to consider 3 containers on each floor of the house, and maybe even 3 containers in some rooms that are more frequently used. When each container fills up, the items inside can be dumped into the larger bins that your waste management company has provided.
If you are currently in a living situation that doesn't allow for composting, do some research to see if there are any businesses in your region that collect compost. As an example, our favorite health food store has a bin for collecting compost. And for folks living in cities, perhaps there might be a company like that of Compost Cab in Washington DC, offering a home or office pickup service.
Step 5: Take your waste management a few steps further.
Aside from the stuff we toss out on a daily basis, another major inefficiency in modern day homes is water waste. Those familiar with recreational vehicles and tiny houses will be familiar with the concepts of gray water and black water systems. Gray water will typically come from your shower, sinks and laundry machine, so long as you are using natural soaps and aren't putting any toxic chemicals down the drains. This water can then be collected and used for watering the garden. Black water comes from the toilet and must be discarded. Alternatively, composting toilets are becoming very popular for the eco-conscious crowd. Without sounding too crude, a composting toilet takes away the need for black water, with a system that can instead, as the name implies allow toilet waste to be composted.
What about meat, fat, bones, grease, oil and dairy from food waste?
This one is really tough for me. I care about animals and am thankful for the sacrifice they make for me to be able to eat and thrive. I want to honor their sacrifice by eating "nose to tail," meaning that I consume organ meat and use bones for bone broth, etc. However, after roasting the bones and then making stock with them, there isn't really any further use for them from a dietary standpoint. One way of continuing to make use of the fat and bones is to burn them over a fire, turning them into ashes that can be composted. I have tried this method once and it's definitely an effective way to really use all parts of the animal, without creating waste for the landfill. However, the process is very time-consuming, and it can also be pretty smelly. The close quarters of suburban life really doesn't provide a nice environment for a potent bonfire. But for those living out in the country, it could be an option to carefully consider.
Alternatively, a much more feasible option for the suburbs is a biogas digester. In contrast to a regular home compost, a biogas digester can take meat, fat, bones and even human waste, and turn all of that into methane, which can then be used as an energy source, particularly for cooking fuel. If you want to check out the biogas digester in action, check out this episode of Living Big in a Tiny House. I don't have any personal experience with a biogas digester, so if you're more familiar with this process, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Wrap-up
So there you have some ideas for reducing the amount of waste that your home generates on a daily basis. It requires a lot of hard work and research. The best approach is to take it slowly and create a system that will work for your household for many years ahead. It’s still a process for us every day, and we continue to strive to cut down on the amount of waste that we produce. Tell us where you are in your waste management system in the comments below! And if you have any further tips that work for you, please let us know! And be sure to check out my video for this blog post here!
- Christin
