You might have heard about the no-waste challenge. Or perhaps you want to less of an impact on the world around you. While recycling is a great way to reduce waste, you can start going green with only a few changes to your daily lifestyle.
1. Limit Paper Towel Use
Paper towels are the easy go-to solution for everything. A bagel on the go? Grab a paper towel. A minor spill? Grab a paper towel. The issue is that all this paper ends up in the trash. You’re not only wasting paper, but you’re also spending money! You can limit paper towel use and opt for hand or bar towels instead. Absorbent towels will always do a better job of cleaning up a mess, will soak up more liquid than a paper towel and are easy to clean. Stash a mini-trashcan under your sink to store your dirty cleaning towels until you run the next load of laundry.
2. You Don’t Have to Use Plastic Bags for Everything
Somehow everyone has become accustomed to putting fresh vegetables and fruit into a plastic bag. Why? If you store your fruits and veggies in this plastic bag until you’re ready to use them, they go bad faster. If you remove the bag to store them in a pantry or fridge, you used a bag for about ten minutes with zero purpose.
You can avoid plastic bags in the grocery store. Some states have started implementing a charge on carry-out bags. You can opt for a canvas or alternative grocery bag. You can also choose to shop in places that don’t use them. Costco does not use plastic bags. They pride themselves on operating as efficiently as possible, and they know that paying for plastic bags and giving them to their customers is wasteful.
3. Reduce Your Outings
Combine your shopping trips; make sure you get everything you need while you’re out and plan. These simple steps can have a substantial long-term effect on the environment with minimal effort. Instead of running to the store for only a few things, make sure to craft a list that has everything you could need for the next week or even two weeks.
Don’t forget to plan your outings so that you’re out for the day, rather than leaving the house every day for repeated trips. Check Costco hours before leaving the house and plan a date with a friend, and your additional shopping trips for the same day. You’ll reduce gas and save yourself time.
4. Choose Reusable Containers
When you’re done with a container for anything, it’s likely that you can reuse it in some way. Use plastic bottles for storing your homemade cleaning supplies, or pantry items such as pasta, flour or sugar.
5. Avoid Using Cleaners
You can keep your house sparkling clean without 409, Windex, or Tilex. Heavy degreasers, and general cleaners are harmful to the environment and create plastic waste. Instead choose to use old-school cleaning solutions such as baking soda, vinegar, and lemon. Using pantry staples, you can clean tile, counter surfaces, showers, and even get the grime off your sink faucet. These simple solutions are not only better for the environment, but they’re safer for your home.
Article Submitted By Community Writer