Disposing of Household Waste: Everything You Need to Know
Disposing of household waste can be a real pain. It’s incredible just how much trash we generate on a day-to-day basis, a fact which has serious consequences for the planet. The least we can do is dispose of our waste responsibly. We’ll tell you how in this article.
If you can manage to follow these simple steps, you’ll not only make your home cleaner and more organized, but you’ll also help do your bit for the planet. As you’ll soon see, the following tips and suggestions are all really easy to do, and require very little effort.
Separating your household waste
Recycling is a fundamental part of caring for the planet, and requires very little time or effort. Plus, recycling containers are easily accessible in most cities, with more and more appearing everyday.
All you need to do is buy different trash cans for the various different materials you use. Let’s take a look at one way you could organize your recycling:
- Green: in this container, you can put glass bottles, jars and other containers.
- Yellow: in a yellow container, you can place milk cartons, and metal and plastic containers such as aerosols and deodorant.
- Blue: this should be used for paper and cardboard. Remember to destroy any personal documents beforehand, to be on the safe side.
- Grey: this should be used for organic waste, biodegradable compounds and plant waste.
Waste disposal: recycling oil
Oil continues to be one of the least recycled items of household waste. This can cause a whole host of problems, both in your home’s plumbing, and at water treatment plants. Most people simply pour any excess oil down the sink, or put oily dishes straight in the dishwasher.
The solution is actually really simple. All you need to do is keep a bottle in the kitchen, and fill it with any oil left over from cooking. When the bottle is full, you can then take it to a specially designed oil recycling plant near you.
Reduce food waste
A huge percentage of all the waste we throw out is made up of food we’ve bought and left uneaten. In the US alone, 60 million tons of food are thrown out every year. These figures are appalling, especially when you think about just how many thousands of people don’t have regular access to food.
So, for this reason, you need to ban yourself from throwing out any more food. The first thing you need to do is only buy the food you really need. This can be achieved by planning out meals for the week, and buying accordingly.
Another option is to freeze any leftover food. Not only will this stop you from wasting it, but it will save you from having to cook throughout the week. You can freeze both cooked and uncooked dishes. Just remember to check which foods are and aren’t suitable for freezing.
Give your trash a new lease of life
So far, we’ve only talked about throwing out. But what most people don’t realize is that many of the things we throw out have so much potential. In this next section, we want to show you a few ways you can save money, encourage your kids to get creative, and look after the environment, all at the same time.
Reusing cardboard boxes
Cardboard boxes are one of the items we throw out most. However, depending on the size, you might find you can reuse them to create different objects.
Magazine racks, lamps, chairs or children’s toys are just a few examples. Most people have no idea just how strong and versatile a simple cardboard box can be. So next time, think twice before simply throwing your cardboard box in the recycling.
Decorating with plastic bottles
Even something as simple as a plastic bottle can be transformed into all kinds of different things. And the best bit is that you can get your little ones to help too.
Items such as plant pots, pencil pots, or fun animal shapes are just a few of the things you could make. Encourage your children to let their creative juices flow, so that they can make their own toys and bedroom accessories.
Light bulb Christmas decorations
Another good idea is to keep any light bulbs that need replaced throughout the year. When the festive season arrives, you can use all your creativity to make them shine again (albeit in a different way).
Paint your light bulbs with acrylic paint, and hang them on a hook or thread. The result is a set of unique and original Christmas decorations, which will look great hanging on the tree.