How to reduce waste

Ready to become a zero waste grocery shopper? Our advice is to start slowly. Try one tip the first week, then add the next. Zero waste living comes with the commitment to make small, consistent steps. Too much too fast can be overwhelming and lead to a desire to quit all together. There is little more rewarding than setting a worthy goal and achieving it, so good luck and happy waste reducing!

The kitchen is the area in most homes that produces the largest amount of unnecessary waste. Luckily, this also means that the kitchen is the easiest place for you to start if your goal is to become a zero waste household. By taking a few easy steps, you can start to quickly reduce the amount of waste that your home produces each year. To help get you started, here are some easy zero waste solutions for your kitchen.

Try Alternatives to Disposables – Disposable kitchen supplies such as paper towels, paper napkins, plastic cups and paper plates make up a majority of the waste that people turn out in their kitchens. In order to cut back on waste, try to utilize more traditional kitchen items such as ceramic plates and glass cups, as well as cloth napkins and kitchen rags/towels.

Reducing the number of the disposable items that you use, or eliminating your use of these items all together, can have a significant effect on the waste you turn out.

Buy in Bulk

Not only is it cheaper for you if you buy as much of your food and as many of your household supplies as possible in bulk, but in can also go a long way to cut back on packaging waste.

Buying in bulk requires a lot less packaging supplies than buying individual items at a supermarket. Also, many bulk suppliers allow you to package your own goods. This will allow you to put food into your own reusable containers and jars, which will avoid the need for packaging materials all together.

Learn to Love Leftovers

One of the biggest culprits of waste in American households is the unnecessary throwing out of leftover food. Utilizing leftover food whenever possible will save you money, and will prevent unnecessary waste. Leftovers can make a great option for lunch the next day, or you could have a leftover night with your family once a week. You can also find many great recipes online that will help you to utilize leftovers.

Compost

Composting is a great way to get rid of any food waste that you do have leftover. Starting a compost pile in your yard can help you to eliminate an output of any organic waste from your home. Keeping a compost bin in your kitchen can help you to make composting as much a part of your life as recycling.

By following these easy tips, you can quickly reduce the amount of unnecessary waste that leaves your kitchen. Contact us to learn about more ways to lessen the waste that leaves your home, and to learn about how we can dispose of any excess household waste you have.

You’ve no doubt heard of the three R’s-reduce, recycle and reuse, but may not have heard of the 5 R’s. These stand for refuse, reduce, reuse recycle and rot, and are essential to follow if you would like to achieve zero waste living in Chester County.

Refuse

Refuse means to simply avoid taking in things just because they are free. For example, at fairs and trade shows, people often give away free product samples or memorabilia such as ink pens, key chains or rulers. People sometimes give away “goodie bags” whenever they are hosting a party as well. By accepting these giveaways, you’re actually creating a demand for more, so by simply refusing to take them, you are making a positive impact on the environment.

Reduce

To reduce means to simply avoid buying things you do not need, and to choose sustainable items over disposable ones whenever possible. A good example of this is using canvas shopping bags whenever you buy groceries, and refilling water bottles rather than buying new ones. Another way to reduce is to look for goods that have as little packaging to them as possible, so that there will be less waste that needs to be disposed of as a result.

Reuse

Before throwing something away, try to determine if there is another use for it. For example, carpet scraps could be used to line the drawers of tool chests, and artificial Christmas trees could be used to make wreaths or other decorations with. Children can also enjoy making crafts from different items that might normally be thrown away, and this can help to teach them the value of reusing things as well.

Recycle

A number of items can be recycled including plastic, glass, newspaper, cardboard and aluminum. These items typically make up the bulk of household trash, so by not sending them to the landfill, you are already reducing your carbon footprint significantly.

There are also recycling centers that will allow you to drop off car batteries, paint, electronics and tires. Before you dispose of these things, try to find a location to drop them off at as well.

Rot

Certain things will decompose on their own, and do not need to be included in household garbage at all. Yard waste, food scraps and even animal bedding can all be added to a compost pile, where you can create a nutrient-rich substance that is ideal for growing fruits and vegetables in.

While following the 5 Rs may not have you truly experiencing zero waste living, it should nonetheless get you pretty close. For times when you simply must dispose of household waste, contact us in order to find the solution that is precisely right for your needs.

Trash. Garbage. Rubbish. Waste. Empties. Refuse. Call it what you will, it’s here and we need to deal with it. It stinks. We know it stinks.

We don’t like dealing with the mess either. We all know, however, that it needs to be done, and if we don’t take care of the trash, we’ll hear about it much later from our better halves! They don’t want the aromatic reminder of their past meal exploits hanging out either! Chin up Chester County! We’re going to help you explore zero waste solutions in Chester County to help you with your trashy issues.

What is a zero waste solution

That’s a great question. Zero waste solutions begin with you and the type of trash your home produces. Anything which comes into your home needs to be able to leave by means of recycling. This means organic foods, coffees, recyclable packaging in boxes, paper only at the stores, and innovation from you to recycle anything which might fall into disrepair.

We all know the dump is a necessity, but we can make it less so in Chester County by completing a few simple tasks. If the bed frame breaks, use the wood to fix the shed, build a clothes line or make a path in the garden. Sell the wood or send it to the recycling facilities. Do not send it to the dump. That’s just the beginning.

Insist on paper bags at the store. This will help reduce the amount of plastic bags headed for the dump. Visit one of Chester County’s numerous organic food stores, such as one of the 13 farmer’s markets or 56 farms which will sell you organic foods. Grab some recipes for the foods and freeze what you can for over the winter use. Chester County farms shut down in mid December, as we all do when it gets that cold. You’ll need the food for mid winter.

Reuse whatever you can from the yard. If possible, make a mulch pile where you can store the leaves from the fall for use in the garden next year. If you don’t have a garden, offer the fresh made mulch to someone who does. Just be sure to mix up the leaves often to avoid making your own homemade deadly gasses!Save jars and cans for drinking glasses.

Keep your nice glasses for company and use old containers for everyday refreshment. Additionally, skip the beverage bottles and opt for bigger packages, which require less plastic and materials to make. They will also recycle just as well as the individual servings. If you are going to use cans for any use in the kitchen, be sure to use a can opener which dulls the edge of the can.

Watch everything that goes into the trash can. Dump leftovers into the garden to nourish the soil. Create homemade dog food with leftovers to help keep them out of the trash. Never throw a box, can or jar in the trash can. Recycle plastics and only buy the plastics which can be recycled.

A little bit of thinking and a little bit of practice will help you become a zero waste household. Think about how much money you will save on garbage bags and how nice the kitchen will look without a clunky waste bin hanging around! You’ll feel great that you are helping Chester County be a little greener and do its part to save the environment.

Our trash removal service professionals know that ice cream containers are often found on “do not recycle” lists. That tends to leave a lot of people wondering what to do with those containers.