4 Ways to Stop Throwing So Much Away

Although people are becoming a lot more educated about why waste is bad and they should protect the planet more, modern lifestyles don’t always lend themselves to making this possible. After all, when you go to the store, you’ll see lots of disposable plastic products that are meant to be used once and then thrown away, and when it comes to technology, it’s usually easier and cheaper to buy something new rather than fix something old, and that old thing will then be thrown out.

The good news is that with some careful thinking and planning, it’s possible to throw much less away and have far less waste in your home and in your life. If that’s something that sounds like a good idea, keep reading for some useful tips that you can put into practice right away.

Practice the Five Rs

Something that will help you remember to throw less away when possible (even when it’s usually the easiest, most convenient option) is to practice the five Rs. If you can do this, you’ll be able to do your bit for the environment, and you’ll feel satisfied and pleased with your efforts, too – that kind of feeling will motivate you to do more and perhaps even talk to others about how they could copy your lead. Here are the five Rs to consider:

• Refuse

The first R stands for ‘refuse’, and it’s a great habit to get into. When you’re out shopping or having something delivered, say no to anything that’s unnecessary, especially when it’s single-use plastic and disposable products. Plus, when you go out, make sure you have a reusable water bottle with you, and perhaps a coffee cup too, and in that way, saying no in certain situations becomes a lot easier as you won’t have to go without.

• Reduce

Reducing how much you use means you’ll automatically reduce how much you waste, so this is an ideal way to throw less away. Make a list before you go to the grocery store so you only buy what you really need, and see if you can buy in bulk and freeze items if it makes sense – you’ll save money and also reduce your waste. On top of that, you’ll find there’s less packaging because you’re not buying individual items.

• Reuse

Rather than throwing something out after it’s been used once, look for ways to reuse it instead. You can turn glass jars into storage containers, old clothes can become cleaning rags, and even cardboard boxes (if they’re in good condition) can become great storage and organizational tools.

• Repurpose

In a similar way to reusing things, you can also repurpose them. This means changing their use so they do something else, and you still won’t be throwing them away. If you have a lot of old t-shirts that would either go to landfill or be kept in a box because they’re full of memories, why not send them to a company that makes blankets made from clothes instead? You’ll end up with a lovely souvenir that you can use to decorate your living room or bedroom, and the clothes won’t be wasted.

• Recycle

Recycling is another great option, and although it should be the last thing you think of after you’ve gone through everything else on the list of Rs, it’s still far better than sending anything to landfill. Look at what your local guidelines say so you can be sure you’re recycling the right things in the right way, and you can feel good that you’re helping the planet while reducing the amount you send to landfill.

Become Minimal

If the idea of the minimalist lifestyle doesn’t appeal because you like to have your things around you, that’s fine – it’s not for everyone. However, you might be surprised at just how many benefits this kind of living can bring you and how much of your ‘stuff’ you can keep when you adopt it, so don’t dismiss it out of hand; it might be precisely what you need to stop throwing so much away.

To begin with, when you choose to live with fewer possessions, you can start decluttering your home, making it more comfortable and giving you more space. If you sell or donate these items or use them for other purposes, as mentioned above, you don’t have to worry about adding them to landfill either. Plus, when you decide to live minimally, you won’t need to buy so much new stuff, which instantly reduces how much waste you’ll have to deal with.

Repair, Don’t Replace

When was the last time you thought about repairing something that was broken rather than immediately deciding to throw it out and replace it? It was probably quite a while ago, and perhaps you’ve never considered it – we live in a disposal society, after all.

If you can learn how to fix things, you’ll solve a lot of problems. For one thing, you’ll save money because you won’t have to buy so many new items, whether it’s clothing, technology, or anything else. Plus, since you’re not throwing things away to replace them, you’ll have less waste. Finally, you’ll be able to learn all kinds of new skills that will help you now and in the future and give you confidence that you can tackle anything that comes your way.

Try Composting

It’s not just standard household waste that’s the issue – when you think about what you throw away on a daily basis, you’ll probably find most of it is food waste. Cutting back on what you buy by planning your meals in advance and only buying what you really need will definitely help with this, but you’ll probably still have some waste to throw out.

This is where composting can help. If you put your organic waste into your compost pile rather than in the trash, you’ll be helping the environment, reducing your waste, and creating some great soil for your plants – you might even use it to grow your own food, reducing your waste even less in the future.