A few weeks ago I started my three-part series on the three Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – and tackled the topic of how to get started recycling.
Today is part two of the series and I want to talk a bit about reducing consumption and waste!
We live in a consumer-driven society which is, unfortunately, bad news for our checking accounts and for the Earth. All that is consumed must be disposed of somewhere – generally speaking in landfills or incinerators.
There are a lot of ways, however, that we can cut back on our consumption and our waste, but we must first examine how much we really use and then think about how much we really need.
Things to ponder
- Consider how much you and your family consume on a daily or weekly basis. How much of that comes from wants and how much comes from needs?
- Every time you buy something, consider "where will this go when I'm done with it?"
- How much trash does your family produce each week? What could you do to reduce that amount?
Reduce it!
Here are some relatively simple ways you can reduce the amount of waste/trash you and your family produce and save yourselves some money too.
- Make foods (bread, butter, yogurt, cheese, etc.), including meals, from scratch
- Buy non-perishable foods that you consume a lot of in bulk
- Make a menu and shop with a list so that you only buy the perishable food items you will use for the upcoming week
- Avoid single-serving packages of food or drinks
- Store leftovers in reusable containers
- Consider packing foods for lunches (for school/work) in reusable containers rather than disposable plastic baggies
- Buy used rather than new whenever you can
- Consider taking your own mug to your local coffee shop
- When going out to eat, consider bringing along some reusable containers to take home leftovers
- Use tap water in a reusable bottle rather than buying bottled water
- Make your own cleaning products (more on this in a future post)
- Use reusable rags, broom, mops, cloths, etc. for cleaning instead of disposable products
- Use cloth diapers and wipes
- Compost your food waste (more on this in a future post)
- Plant a garden or join a Community Supported Agriculture or CSA (more on this in a future post)
- Receive and pay bills online
- Use reusable shopping bags
- Don't print receipts at the ATM or gas station
Take Action
Select two or three things from the list to start out and commit to doing them. Once you have those mastered, add another, and then another. You will soon be well on your way to reducing your consumption and helping our Earth.
Be sure to join me over at Blissfully Domestic Living to discuss reducing your consumption and waste in more detail.
Loading ...
Great ideas — we have been doing many of them!
Next on our list is to start composting. I just need to buy a composting bin.
The only thing from the list that I think could cause problems is #18. If, by some chance, an incorrect amount gets posted to your account, it is a lot more difficult to dispute it without your receipt.
[...] Learning the three Rs – Part Two: Reduce is the second installment inviting us to become green. At your leisure, check this article out. Here is a link to part one. [...]