How much do you know about our global waste problem? Or our ocean plastic crisis? It’s easy to go to the store and pick up everyday items packaged in plastic and think, “I can recycle that.” But did you know that only 9% of plastics are actually recycled in Canada? Our garbage bins and recycling bins fill up each week and when collection day arrives it’s “out of sight, out of mind.” We repeat the same process until we start to realize how much our purchases impact the environment.
I’ve been focusing on decluttering for the last several months and the most important thing it’s taught me is to bring new items into my home with intention. Whether it’s a new product, clothing, or furniture, I will evaluate whether I truly need it and if it’s sustainable. These seemingly small choices make a huge difference. While there isn’t a perfect solution to solve our waste crisis, we can certainly make changes that will positively impact the environment. Here are 5 ways to reduce your waste.
1) Ditch plastics. Plastics are very difficult to break down and they’re negatively impacting our oceans, marine life, and coastal communities. Instead of purchasing items that are made from plastic or packaged in plastic, invest your money in sustainable, long lasting, and durable alternatives. Some items to consider include a bamboo toothbrush, reusable cotton rounds, and investing in your own reusable grocery bags.
2) Repurpose what you have. Do you love candles like I do? If you answered yes, then you can relate to having a ton of glass jars. Rather than tossing them, you can get creative and repurpose them. Candle jars come in all shapes and sizes, which means you can do just about anything with them! You can paint them, use them as plant/flowerpots, use them to hold your makeup brushes, pencils, and more.
3) Invest in high quality items. We’re all attracted to cost friendly items, but the truth is cost friendly items don’t always last. Rather than choosing the option that sounds great upfront, think about investing in high quality items that will last in the long run.
4) Repair instead of throwing away. I’m sure we all have items in our closet that are a mix between fast fashion and high-quality clothing. If you happen to find snags, rips, or holes in your clothing, try repairing it before throwing it away. You can mend your clothing and even get creative with colorful patchwork.
5) Educate yourself and others. There are so many great resources available to help us make better decisions that can positively impact the environment. Perhaps our close friends, family members, or colleagues aren’t aware of how their choices can impact our planet. By sharing our knowledge and educating ourselves and others, we can work towards building a more sustainable tomorrow. A few eco-friendly books that I’d recommend include Don’t Be Trashy and Sustainable Travel.
How will you reduce your waste? Are there any suggestions on here that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Remember, small changes can make a big impact! For more eco-friendly related posts, visit my tag here.
These are some great ways to help reduce your waste. If everyone did just a few of these, there would be so much less. Thank you for sharing your suggestions and tips.
Lauren x
Agreed, we can all make a positive impact through small changes. Thank you for reading Lauren!
These are great ways to reduce waste! This month Denmark expanded their recycling program and now we can recycle plastics, but not all plastics can be recycled so it is a good idea to find sustainable alternatives like you mentioned.
I also definitely agree with repairing clothes instead of throwing them away! I have this cardigan I bought YEARS ago from H&M and I wear it all the time, but there was a hole by the collar and instead of throwing it away, I sewed it and it’s good as new!
That’s wonderful that they’re expanding their recycling program in Denmark! It’s a step in the right direction. I’m so happy to hear that you were able to repurpose your cardigan from H&M, especially if it’s a favorite piece that you wear often. Thank you for reading Karalee!
Great post and everyone must read this. Not only for waste management but to save our dear planet!
Everyone needs to help if we want a planet/place to live in.
Beautifully said Marie! Thank you for reading!
You just sparked a very interesting convo in my household! I just moved to Canada and had no idea the figure for plastics is only 9%?? How heartbreaking.
A youtuber I watched shared that it takes so much energy to recycle glass that it’s better to keep and repurpose things like jars. I try to apply that with everything so where possible I love upcycling plastic and card into crafty home decor things 🙂 x
Right! 9% is mind blowing and it definitely makes us think twice about the things we bring into our homes. I absolutely love your blog and all of your creative ideas for up-cycling! Thank you so much for reading Mia!
I cant tell you the number of time having a simple cloth bag with him has helped me avoid plastic use. I also carry a set of steel cutlery with me so I dont have to use plastic spoons or straws
I completely agree! I have a reusable bag handy no matter where I go and find myself reaching for it 90% of the time. I love the cutlery idea as well! Thank you for reading Pooja!
These are great tips! While I know it’s companies that are the biggest polluters and not individuals, it’s good to try make a few simple changes to reuse more. And if we all make little changes like this it can really make a huge difference!
Although i can’t say we are avoiding plastic with all the Lego the kids have, haha! But seeing as the Lego I played with as a kid still entertains my boys when we are at my parent’s house I don’t feel too bad for their collection – it’s timeless, haha! 🙂
Hope you are having a good weekend 🙂 We are enjoying the sunshine after so many rainy weeks!
I’m glad more individuals are opting to support sustainable companies, which in turn, is encouraging others to follow suit. It’s been a slow process, but I’m happy to see changes happening. I agree with Legos being timeless haha! Thank you for reading Mica! I’m happy you were able to enjoy the sunny weather this weekend!
I loved your article, I saved it to my favorites in my browser to later see other content.
blog:Perfil dos famosos
Thank you so much Carla!
When my daughter was much younger she said to us, “We’re the replace family, not the repair family, aren’t we.” And that made me think about reusing and repurposing more items and being much more careful about what I buy. These are all wonderful tips and if each of us did a bit more, we’d be in so much better shape.
I’m glad your daughter’s statement has made such a positive impact! Not only are we saving money by reusing and repurposing what we have, but there’s also room for creativity. Thank you for reading and sharing Wendy!
These suggestions make sense. We need to think so carefully about waste and reuse as well as not buying fast fashion.
Yes, I agree! Fast fashion is a huge problem. Thank you for reading Jamie!
This is so timely and important; we all have a role to play and stepping up to reduce something like this is vital. Thanks for sharing this informative post!
Absolutely! Now more than ever it’s important to look at our choices and how we can positively impact the environment. Thank you for reading Molly!
Everyone should educate them themselves on climate change and personal waste consumption. There are even ways to look up your carbon footprint.
Agreed, we each have a responsibility and opportunities to make a positive impact. Thank you for reading!
These are great tips, and we definitely agree with investing in high-quality items and education. Each makes a world of difference in what gets used and what gets wasted. Thank you for sharing!
100%! There’s a lot of unnecessary waste when we look closely. Thank you for reading!
Great tips here! I’ve been working towards making some more sustainable changes recently and, although I still have a long way to go, I’ve been cutting down the plastic and making some great swaps. Repairing things where we can is so important too. Thank you so much for sharing x
That’s wonderful! Small steps are crucial, especially a lifestyle one! Thank you for reading Ceri!
Informative post! When it comes to clothes in good condition that the kids have outgrown, we always donate and a friend donates their older kids’ clothes to us. I’ve had good luck going from plastic snack bags to reusable snack bags. You could fill your glass candle jars with sand, add shells and make a lovely beachy accent piece for your desk.
Crystal | http://www.amazingbaby.app
That’s great to hear! I love your idea for the candle jar, it would make a beautiful decorative piece or gift! Thank you for reading!
I love to be able to repair things! I get so frustrated with things I can’t fix or get fixed – it makes me feel so wasteful. These are great tips, and very digestible. I find it overwhelming sometimes to think about the amount of waste I produce, but sometimes when I see others I realize I am not that bad.
Colleen|ChooseYourUni
I can relate! When I first looked at the amount of waste I produced it was overwhelming. With time, gradual changes and swaps started to make a huge difference. Thank you for reading Colleen!
I’ve changed some things like making washable face wipe/pads, bought reusable straws. But there’s so much that I find much harder to get rid of.. I made myself beeswax wraps, but they’re not as good as clingfilm, and I still use foil to cover things in our aga as you can’t change the temperature/move things down if they’re getting too hot. But little gradual things help. (plus, now I can get my food waste recycled weekly if we have some, and I’ve got places to recycle plastic film, and working from home saves loads in diesel,)
These sound like wonderful swaps and changes Emma! Any change no matter how big or small makes a positive impact. I’m still trying to find an alternative for foil as well. Thank you for reading!
Some amazing tips here lovely, ditching the plastic is one of the most important things we could be all try doing right now! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I agree! I’m glad there are more plastic free alternatives to choose from these days. Thank you for reading Lucy!
Really great ideas! We have a lot of candle jars, so repurposing is a great idea. We also try not to throw anything out that we can donate, including books, clothes, furniture, tech etc.
That’s wonderful to hear! There are so many creative ways that we can repurpose things or donate for someone else to use. Thank you for reading!
Great information presented here. 9% is pretty pitiful and I agree once it goes in the recycling bin we often forget about it. Everyone needs to be aware of the impact of plastics on our planet and do our part but I really think it needs to start with our government not allowing non-recyclable plastics. Thanks for sharing.
I completely agree, it should start with our government! The process has been slow, but I’m glad there have been significant changes made through the years. Thank you for reading Jodie!
Great tips in here! It can be so overwhelming to dive into this topic and apply it in your daily life, but this makes it much more achievable. I actually think that once you start, repurposing actually also super fun and creatively stimulating.
I’m glad this list shows how simple steps can make it more achievable! I completely agree that repurposing can be a ton of fun! Thank you for reading Lisa!
Inspiring! I totally agree, we need to educate ourselves and others to accomplish this together.
Absolutely! Thank you for reading Fransic!
Some great tips. I think it’s so hard to know where to start, especially when we’re all so used to using plastic and just throwing things away for so long. I always focus on my bathroom products and trying to use more sustainable items there. I find it’s an easier place to start PLUS you can discover a lot of great brands, too!
Finding sustainable swaps for the bathroom can be a ton of fun. You’re absolutely right about discovering great brands! Thank you for reading Jenny!