Even if you are confined at home due to COVID-19, you can begin to #TrashHack your life. Tackling global waste starts with reducing the trash you are producing.
Solving the world’s trash problems will take the work of individuals, governments and businesses, but we each have our own opportunities to do our part. And small steps can help us understand how to make bigger changes.
Reducing your waste seems like an incredibly daunting task. When you start to think about it, most of our day to day activities produce waste in some way, shape or form. So start by asking yourself questions like: how much trash do I currently produce? What can I reduce? What can I do instead of throwing something away? What’s the best way to dispose of different trash?
Here are ten easy, affordable (and fun!) ways to trash hack your home, no matter where you are!
- Find out what’s in your bag
Tackling your home’s waste starts with understanding what you’re throwing out. Conducting a waste audit may seem like a messy way to clean up, but it’s the best place to start changing your habits. Start by learning about different types of waste, then find out how much of each you’re producing. You can count of weigh your results, and track your progress over time. Find some great tips on how to conduct a waste audit here or here.
- Compost food waste
Help to reduce the amount of food needlessly going to landfill by composting it instead! The waste can also be donated to local gardens and farms. Don’t have a compost bin? Find out how to compost no matter where you live here.
- Re-use my water bottle
Thirsty? Don’t use paper cups or single-use plastic water bottles to hydrate! Use a glass or reusable water bottle to drink your water and prevent sending it to a landfill.
- Repair not replace
Repairing your clothes is easier than you think and can make your clothes good as new for a fraction of the price! Find some great sewing tips here.
- Refuse or re-use
Do you really need to buy that? Especially for items like clothing, think about how many times you’ll use what you’re planning to buy – this can save the planet and your wallet!
- Buy at a bulk store
You can cut your packaging waste, minimize transport pollution and usually save money by buying in larger quantities!
- Bring my own bag
Remember to take a reusable bag or trolly when you do your grocery shopping. 160,000 plastic bags are used globally every second and only 3% are recycled (Source).
- Adopt reusable straws
Plastic straws can take up to 200 years to decompose – much longer than the 10 minutes it takes to finish your drink! By using paper or metal straws, you can help cut down on the billions of plastic straws that end up in the world’s oceans.
- Recycle shower water
Water is precious. 785 million people lack access to safe water (WHO). You can recycle water by putting a bucket in the shower to collect the water while it’s heating up, and emptying it onto your garden or plants, or using it for cleaning.
- Spread the word
Every individual action has an impact, but together we can achieve more. Share your Trash Hack on social media or encourage your friends to Trash Hack their life too!
Trash Hacking your life starts with action, but why not use this as a jumping off point to further your understanding of the type of waste, where it comes from and where it goes.