Ten easy ways to reduce waste, part one
- Chelsea Cameron-Fikis
- Mar 25, 2018
- 7 min read
Have you ever done a Google search on plastic bag usage? About six years ago I watched the documentary Addicted to Plastic on Netflix and I started to do some research. After reading dozens of depressing statistics on plastic waste, my perspective on single-use plastic and plastic waste changed instantly.
For example, did you know that a trillion plastic bags are used around the world every single year? Yes, a trillion. Did you also know that the average lifespan of a plastic bag is a whopping 12 minutes? (Read more here).
The ludicrousness of these kinds of stats infuriated me then and they still infuriate me now. In the case of a plastic bag, why do we laboriously extract fossil fuels from the earth to create a product that we need for less than 1/4 of an hour? A product that almost instantly ends up as waste in our landfills, rivers and oceans?
Maybe you've noticed more support for #wastefreeliving lately, or people trying to reduce unnecessary waste in their lives and this is a great thing! (I'm hoping it's the peak of a cultural shift that moves away from our wasteful, disposable lifestyles). More and more people are realizing how wasteful our modern society is and are trying to embrace products and lifestyle habits that have more of a circular lifecycle instead of a linear one.
Why not support products that can be reused over and over again?
While the idea of going completely waste-free intrigues me, (and I plan to try a waste-free challenge... length of time undetermined), I'm currently easing into habits and products that help me to reduce waste in my daily and weekly routines. Reusable shopping bags have been a staple in my shopping trips for several years, but I've discovered many other ways to reduce unnecessary waste in my life.
The transition I'm most proud of so far: switching to reusable, fabric sandwich bags in replace of plastic Ziplock bags! I honestly use to use upwards of four plastic sandwich bags in my lunches daily, so I'm feeling really great about my new fabric sandwich bags and all the waste I'm diverting.
Disclaimer: some of the "green" products I advocate for below may or may not make you look like a "treehugger" (a person who gives a sh*t about the earth), and/or a savvy business person (a person who likes to save money and spend it wisely).
Save the planet and your wallet? It's a win-win.
Whether you're at work, school, a restaurant, the mall, at home or wherever, in our #plasticnation and #disposablenation you'll almost always be presented with an opportunity to reduce the amount of waste you create. I think I'll call this blog post 1 of 3 of a waste reduction series. So far these 10 practices are ones that I repeatedly support, but I have so many more ideas up my sleeve that I want to try and share! Stay tuned for those future posts, and in the interim please feel free to share in the comments other waste reduction ideas/tips that you have!
1. Wool Dryer Balls Opt for waste-free laundry.
Replaced: Commercial dryer sheets.
Benefits: (of balls over sheets) - no waste generated; no chemicals or fragrances; balls help to reduce drying time; and $$ saved because balls last a really, really, really long time...
Total Waste Reduced: A typical family of four has eight loads of laundry per week. If that family uses a new dryer sheet every second load, that would equal 4 sheets each week, or over 200 sheets each year.
Get some here!
2. Bamboo Toothbrushes Opt for waste-free dental hygiene.
Replaced: Plastic disposable toothbrushes.
Benefits: (of bamboo compared to plastic) - bamboo last just as long as conventional plastic toothbrushes; after disposal, the bamboo handle decomposes within a year, but it can also be upcycled into something else; less waste generated (the bristles will often still be non-biodegradable).
Total Waste Reduced: Toothbrushes should be replaced every three months. This means we typically go through four brushes each year. Over a 10 year period, you can divert 40 plastic toothbrushes from landfill on your own. A family of four can divert 160 toothbrushes over a 10 year period.
Get some here!
3. Fabric Sandwich Bags Opt for waste-free meal transportation.
Replaced: Plastic sandwich bags.
Benefits: (of fabric vs. plastic) - no waste generated; most single-use plastics contain BPA and DEHA; easy to wash; durable quality; saved $$.
Total Waste Reduced: I use to use plastic sandwich bags to transport everything in my lunch bag! Lets say the average person might use three bags each day, so three bags X seven days a week is 21 bags each week, or 1092 bags into the garbage each year, from one person alone. A family of four would toss away more than 4000 sandwich bags each year.
Get some here!
4. Reusable Lunch Box & Metal Utensils
Opt for a waste-free lunch/meal on the go.
Replaced: Disposable lunch containers and plastic utensils.
Benefits: (of reusable over disposable) - no waste generated; meal planning made easy; lightweight way to transport meal; microwavable (lunch box). **P.S. I realize my lunch box is plastic which isn't incredibly ideal, but it made the most sense for something light and easy to carry in my backpack.
Total Waste Reduced: Most people buy a lunch in disposable packaging 1-2 times each week (granted some people buy out almost every day). If you're getting your food in a disposable container with plastic utensils, you may be throwing 100s of plastic or styrofoam containers, and hundreds of plastic utensils into the garbage each year, just from your lunch alone.
Get a lunchbox here and to-go utensils here! My other favourite glass food containers by Anchor are found here.
5. Reusable Shopping Bags
Opt for a waste-free shopping experience.
Replaced: Plastic, disposable shopping bags.
Benefits: (of reusable vs. disposable) - no waste generated; more durable bags that can often carry more inside; saved $$ (as some stores charge for plastic bags now).
Total Waste Reduced: Let's roughly say that the average person accumulates four plastic bags each week, and the average family of four uses 12 grocery bags each week. This would equate to over 200 plastic bags in a year for a single person, or over 600 plastic bags in a year for a family of four, (although I feel this is a very conservative estimate, especially if you take into account the different types of shopping that each person or family does).
You can purchase reusable shopping bags at most grocery stores and retail stores. I.e. Winners or Metro.
6. Fabric Produce Bags
Opt for waste-free fruit and veggie transportation.
Replaced: Plastic, disposable produce bags.
Benefits: (fabric over plastic) - no waste generated; most single-use plastics contain BPA and DEHA; easy to wash and reuse.
Total Waste Reduced: Assuming the average person uses anywhere from 5-10 plastic produce bags during each weekly grocery store visit, one person throws out over 500 plastic produce bags each year. A family of four throws out double or triple, equating to over 1000 plastic produce bags each year.
Get some here!
7. Reusable Tumbler
Opt for waste-free coffee/tea drinking.
Replaced: Disposable coffee/tea cups.
Benefits: (metal over disposable) - no waste generated; easy to wash and reuse; spill-proof (can be placed in a purse or bag with no worry of leaking); $$ saved (many places offer a discount for bringing in a reusable cup).
Total Waste Reduced: Most people have anywhere from one to four cups of coffee or tea each day. A majority of people purchase coffee or tea from places like Tim Hortons or Starbucks in disposable paper cups. Two cups of coffee a day in disposable cups = 14 cups (and their plastic lids) to the landfill each week, or 728 cups to the landfill each year.
Get one here!
8. Reusable Water Bottle Opt for waste-free hydration.
Replaced: Plastic single-use water bottle.
Benefits: (of reusable over single-use) - no waste generated; most single-use plastics contain BPA and DEHA; $$ saved; easier to customize your water flavour; easy to refill at water fountain/tap stations throughout your city.
Total Waste Reduced: If you drink one plastic water bottle every single day, (but the recommended intake for water is anywhere from 9-12 cups/day, so you likely would drink more than one plastic water bottle each day), that would equal seven plastic bottles each week, or 364 bottles each year that end up in landfill. A family of four drinking one plastic water bottle each day would send nearly 1500 plastic water bottles to landfill in one year alone.
Get one here!
9. Bulk Soaps
Opt for waste-free hygiene, like bars of soap to wash your face, hair and body.
Replaced: Bottled body wash, shampoo, soaps, etc.
Benefits: (of bulk over bottled) - no waste or less waste generated; often products will be handmade and/or contain better quality ingredients; easier to transport when travelling (take up less space); no animal testing (most bulk soaps won't have this potential issue); no micro-beads/micro-plastics (as found in some bottled body wash products).
Total Waste Reduced: Let's assume that most people buy body wash, face wash, shampoo and conditioner every three months (four bottles, four times a year). This means that one person throws away 16 plastic bottles each year from personal hygiene products, while a family of four throws away up to 50 plastic bottles each year from personal hygiene products.
You can buy some great bulk soaps at your local farmer's market, LUSH cosmetics, or here! I'm currently exploring shampoo and conditioner bars from LUSH. Let me know if you've tried them.
10. Shop with a Bulk Mindset
Opt for waste-free food shopping/packaging (buy in bulk, buy less packaging).
Replaced: Plastic bags, plastic packaging, disposable food packaging.
Benefits: (of buying bulk vs not) - reduction of waste generated; $$ saved (it's often cheaper to buy the largest bulk option); making your own bulk batches at home will often be healthier for you.
Total Waste Reduced: It's hard to give an exact number amount of the waste and packaging reduced by shopping with a bulk mind-set, but once you start trying to be more mindful of the packaging you're bringing into your home, you'll definitely notice a smaller garbage bin with less plastic packaging.
Get some jars here!
This is an area I'm still working on, but I have some basic rules when shopping for food...
Buy what you can in bulk, especially items that have a longer shelf life.
If buying bulk items in packaging, opt for the largest bag, i.e. I'll buy the largest bag of black beans vs. the smallest bag, because buying bigger in bulk still reduces the amount of packaging being sent to landfill.
Buy more items that come without packaging (hello fruits and veggies).
Buy more items that come in non-plastic recyclable packaging, (i.e. opt for the glass container over the plastic container).
Ideas I plan to explore for my next post: bamboo paper towel, beeswax food wrap and metal razors to name a few! Stay tuned and happy green living!
-Just Chelsea xo
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