Are you looking for eco-friendly waste management ideas? We have just what you need! Learn about composting, living a zero-waste lifestyle, being creative with upcycling, and why it is vital to avoid single-use plastics.
Eco-Friendly Waste Management Practices
Eco-friendly waste management practices sound complicated, but reducing waste is actually simple. Take a few actions, and you will minimize landfill waste, save money, and protect the natural environment you and your loved ones enjoy.
Recycle. Proactively recycle materials such as paper, glass, aluminum, and certain plastics.
Reduce. Use less single-use items such as plastic straws.
Reuse. Upcycle items and use them differently.
Donate. Donate gently-used items.
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Composting: Transforming Organic Waste
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), food is the most common material sent to landfills. It makes up 24.1% of municipal solid waste. We can do better. Businesses can support a local charity or national organizations such as Feeding America. Homeowners can choose composting to turn food scraps into organic waste.
Almost any organic waste can become compost, including eggshells, fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, grass clippings, tea bags, and yard trimmings. Compost looks like fertile garden soil. It is rich in nutrients and ideal for gardening, horticulture, and agriculture. Gardeners will tell you that making your own compost is satisfying and a cost-saver.
Zero-Waste Lifestyle: Minimize Waste Generation
What is a zero-waste lifestyle? It is a conscious choice to minimize your environmental impact by reducing waste. Choose to cut down on waste by doing basic things: buy in bulk, compost food scraps, avoid single-use plastics, choose reusable containers, and support your local farmer’s market or farmer. Don’t discard imperfect-looking fruits and vegetables. They are generally still good enough to eat.
How many plastic water bottles did you, your family, and your colleagues use and discard this week? Invest in a quality water filter for your home, and buy stainless steel or quality glass water bottles. Your bank account will thank you.
Upcycling: Creative Repurposing of Waste
Nearly everything can be upcycled with a bit of elbow grease and some imagination. Upcycling gives new life to discarded items when they get a new look or purpose. People often upcycle furniture. You can turn grandma’s chest of drawers into a modern piece with a new coat of paint and fashionable hardware.
When you repurpose waste, you save it from the landfill. Statistics show that in America, nearly 85% of all clothes end up in the landfill. That is 2,150 pieces per second. Imagine the difference it will make when everyone avoids fast fashion and starts upcycling. A pair of old jeans will make a great tote bag.
Reducing Single-Use Plastics and Waste
Imagine a typical summer’s day. You get takeout and something to drink for a picnic in the park, which you carry in a plastic bag. You use a straw to drink from a cup or bottle and cutlery to eat the bowl of salad while enjoying the smell of chicken pieces in a polystyrene container. After the picnic, you throw everything in the nearest bin. In that one meal, you used seven pieces of single-use plastic.
Reducing single-use plastics is a choice. Several states and cities banned single-use plastic bags, including Colorado. How much less waste will there be when we stop using them? 1,728,618,096 fewer single-use plastic bags will pollute our Colorado environment.
Bargains Bins is a locally-owned residential and contractor bin and roll off container rental company servicing Colorado Springs and South Metro Denver. Our Clutter Buster Bin is currently only available in Colorado Springs, but the Bargain Bins Max series is available in both areas. When your regular garbage or recycling service provider cannot take items, rent a roll off dumpster. We hope you find our eco-friendly waste management ideas helpful. Contact Bargain Bins today!