One of the most important aspects of owning a home, and one most people don’t give much thought to is waste management. In an average lifetime, U.S. adults throw away about 600 times their weight in garbage, and the average person generate 4 pounds of trash per day. Managing the waste you produce is important for a number of reasons. Not only will reducing waste be good for the environment, but it also can save you money over time. Here are some waste management tips that can help you cut down on what you throw away.
More and more companies these days are giving their customers the option to go paperless. This usually applies to bills and invoices, but it also might be available when it comes to other things, such as marketing materials. Going paperless whenever you have the opportunity will help you cut down on the amount of paper waste you produce. This doesn’t only have to apply to bills and other mail. You also can do electronic magazine and newspaper subscriptions so that you no longer receive paper copies.
To help keep the waste you do generate out of the landfill, it’s important to recycle what you can. Nearly 90% of all Americans have access to either curbside pickup or drop-off recycling programs. Much of the household waste that is generated can be recycled. This includes paper, cardboard, aluminum, plastic and glass. Curbside recycling pickup, if you have it usually isn’t that expensive, costing anywhere from $10 to $15 a month. In larger cities, you usually can drop off recycling for free at a central drop-off point. While there is a cost to deal with recycling it generally is lower than the cost for dealing with trash, and most of the materials get reused rather than being buried in the ground.
Waste management also can involve more planning on the front end by trying to use fewer items that need to be thrown away. This can involve things like buying a reusable shopping bag and using throwaway household items like plates and cups, razors and other items. You also can try to use products that don’t use as much packaging.
It does take some work and some planning to try to reduce your footprint when it comes to the amount of waste you generate. But it may be easier than you think, and it helps the environment, which makes it worthwhile.
