In a World Full of Litter, Here's How To Reduce Solid Waste at Home!
Updated: Mar 14
The average American produces 4.5 pounds of waste per day compared to the global average of 1.6 pounds per day. According to the World Bank, the daily waste generated per person averages 0.74 kilograms but ranges from 0.11 to 4.54 kg. The United States and other developed countries account for just 16% of the world's population but about 34% of the world's waste. That is a huge figure considering that the world generates 2.01 billion tons of solid waste yearly.
The World Bank also notes that 33% of the solid waste produced annually is not managed eco-friendly and poses a great danger to the environment and species. It may be hard to believe that you are generating so much daily waste but consider how many minutes you spend in the shower. Dr. Mikhail Varshavski states that you only need 4 minutes to shower. The longer you leave the water running, the more you waste a natural resource. Moreover, you also waste electricity if you take a long hot shower.
When you peel potatoes, you produce solid waste; consider eating the wedges. Likewise, when you remove groundnut shells, you have waste to be used to create garden compost instead of garbage waste.
Follow these simple tips to reduce your solid waste output in the environment:
Support Restaurants that Use Recyclable Containers
The take-out culture is here to stay. Sometimes, it may seem impossible to cook at home every day. However, when you order food, you often find that the food comes packaged in a lot of plastic and other waste material. Environmentally-conscious individuals often look for and support businesses with eco-friendly packaging. For example, try going to a coffee shop that uses recyclable coffee cups or bring your own reusable cups. Places such as Starbucks offer incentives for using their branded reusable coffee cups. Also, if you have coffee tins at home, you can use them for storage. Get into the habit of supporting sustainable goods. Buy from retailers who sell eco-friendly items.
Purchase Odd-Looking Produce
Suppliers often discard fruits and vegetables because of their odd sizes and shapes. You can buy oddly shaped produce from farmer's markets, usually sold at lower prices. Small-sized potatoes can still make fries. So, no food shaming!
Find out 5 Easy Ways To Recycle At Home!