Have you ever taken the garbage out and thought, “Didn’t I just do this yesterday”? You are not alone. The good news is that we can do something about it!
We can reduce the amount of waste we create. And before anyone panics, reducing waste does not mean moving to a cabin in the woods and giving up modern conveniences. It simply means being a little more thoughtful about what we buy, what we use, what we reuse and what we throw away. In other words, sometimes the best piece of trash is the piece of trash that we never created in the first place.
When it comes to waste, there is a simple hierarchy that is worth remembering: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Notice that recycling comes third in line. That is not because recycling isn’t important. It is! If we can prevent something from becoming trash in the first place, that’s even better.
Think about it this way. If you don’t buy something you don’t need, there is nothing to throw away. If you use something again, it doesn’t become waste- yet. And if you recycle something correctly, it may get another life as a new product. Aluminum cans could be another aluminum can again. That glass bottle could become another product.
Most of us don’t think much about the size of our garbage can until we discover that we have somehow filled it three days before garbage day. Reducing waste can help keep those garbage cans from becoming overstuffed. Buying only what you need, choosing reusable items when practical, repairing things and finding ways to reuse items can all reduce the amount of material heading to the landfill. And, let’s be honest-nobody has ever looked at an overflowing garbage can and said, “Wow, we really nailed this”!
One of the biggest misconceptions about throwing something away is that it somehow disappears. But garbage doesn’t simply vanish into the mysterious land of “away. It has to be collected, transported and ultimately disposed of properly. Landfills provide an important service for materials that cannot be reused or recycled, but landfill space is a limited resource. This is why reducing the amount of waste we create matters.
If we can recycle an accepted material, that is one more material that can potentially be recovered and made into something new. If we can keep something useful longer, that is one less item that needs to be disposed of.
Before throwing something away, ask yourself: Can I use this again? Maybe that container can hold something else. Maybe I can repair that piece of furniture. Maybe those clothes can be donated. There is a reason why the word reuse comes before recycle.
Of course, recycling remains an important part of waste reduction. When you have an accepted recyclable item, putting it into the proper recycling cart or community recycling drop site gives that material the opportunity to be recovered and use to make new products.
But there is an important catch: not everything is recyclable! Plastic flower pots, nope. Chemical containers? Absolutely not. Random household junk? No way! That broken lawn chair? Trash only. When nonrecyclable items are placed in the recycling stream, they can contaminate the load and create additional problems during sorting and processing.
Small changes add up! Sometimes people think, What difference does one household make? The answer is that one household is where it starts! If one family reduces food waste, that is progress. If another family chooses reusable products, that is progress. If another family donates usable clothing instead of throwing it away, that is progress. Now multiply those small actions by hundreds or thousands of households and suddenly those little choices are not so little anymore.
And finally, remember that life happens. Sometimes things break or sometimes good food goes bad. There are times when those reusable shopping bags are forgotten at home (and we remember them once we are sitting in the checkout line). We have all been there. The goal is to simply make better choices when we can.
So the next time you reach for that garbage can, stop for a second. Take a good look at what you are holding and ask yourself if the item belongs in the recycling cart or should go to the thrift store. Why? Because when it comes to waste reduction, every little bit helps!
