Waste minimisation ideas, got any?

Question

PLEASE NOTE:

MInimisation, not recycling afterwards, but to reduce the amount of waste made in the first place.

Answer 1

Try consuming items that have less packaging. Maybe the ones that don't have wrappers with lots of non-biodegradable stuff. Try not getting too much foil.. (chips maybe) there..

Answer 2

For a compehensive answer

and FREE info.

please go to this website:

http://www.the-alternative.org.uk

See especially: Project "it", + Chapter 9: Waste

Answer 3

Reduce, packaging, transportation and shopping times.  People would have to start making lists and sticking to it if they had less money too.

Answer 4

There is only one way.

Kung-Fu.

Answer 5

try this for a week. don't buy anything but food at the store(well, include toilet paper then).

compare your garbage to the previous week.

Answer 6

The easiest way to minimize waste is to change your thinking. The American way has become consume, dispose, consume, dispose. That is what has to change. Think ahead of what you're doing, basically.

For instance, when shopping try to use cloth grocery bags instead of paper or plastic. Although they sell these bags at the grocery stores, you can also use any cloth bags at your home to lug groceries home. That way you don't have to worry about getting rid of 10-15 plastic bags. Aldi stores actually only provide paper bags, which are easier to recycle later. However, the store urges customers to use large empty boxes that they receive their inventory in to pack up their groceries and take them home.

Also, at home, not using any disposable products will cut down garbage piles by a lot. Paper plates, plastic cups, paper towels, paper napkins, plastic ziplock bags- these are all one-use products that are thrown away immediately. Using regular dishes, glass cups, cloth napkins, dish towels work the same way, but have a much longer life than disposable products. Cutting up old bath towels can create about 6-8 cleaning rags for household cleaning, instead of buying expensive disposable cleaning cloths. Use tupperware containers to save leftovers. You could even use old sour cream containers or butter tubs to save leftovers and reuse. They can stand up to washing-sometimes even in some dishwashers-and still have tightly fitting lids to keep things fresh.

Rethinking is the best way to minimize waste. Look before you leap.

Answer 7

Buy less each week until you find the level that is right for you. I recently reduced the amount we cook because we kept finding "left-overs" in the fridge we had forgotten about- this has worked well. I let the kids help themselves because they know how much they want to eat. I buy clothes that both kids like then the youngest has the option of a hand-me-down (but I never force this). we have an allotment and we make jams/pickles with gluts. I bake twice a week and fill the oven (I cook for a local homeless charity) That way we don't waste fuel. Experiment with the amount of washing powder, I found clothes are still clean with just over half the recommended dose. I like to knit and crochet, I look in my local charity shops for wool and have bought some fantastic yarns. I make stuff for us and as presents. If you have a local exchange trading scheme use it to swap skills. All this is painless, easy and the kids are almost always on board. A big deal is to learn to make simple repairs to things like vacuum cleaners, not only does this save you money but people will give you items for free ( it is mind boggling how often this happens) They know it is easy to fix but they want to buy a new one because it has some new feature they can't live without!!! This weekend a neighbour brought round an almost new Dyson, five min's poking around revealed a blocked pipe (the old pencil and Lego combo') I rang him to come and get it but he said he had "set his heart on a new one"  Arrggghhhhh!. It is the society we live in I guess. It is really important that it stays fun if you have kids, too hard or worthy and I think you might sent them screaming for consumerism. Good luck and Best Wishes.

Answer 8

Consume less, grow your own food, repair and re-use.