Posted on 29th May 2020 by Hintons
Lockdown has seen everyone living, working and studying at home. With the whole family in one place for a long period of time, this has caused household waste to increase and pile up.
If you’ve noticed that quarantine is escalating a build-up of rubbish in your house, it might be time to think about how to reduce your household waste. Luckily, there are a few simple changes you can make to your daily habits that can do just this – helping you enjoy a comfortable, clutter-free home throughout lockdown, and beyond.
5 Easy Ways to Reduce Household Waste
Plan Ahead:
Cutting down waste starts with planning ahead. Think about how much you use as a family, and how much food you get through in the average week. Sit down at the start of each week to meal plan and assess exactly how much of everything you will need to ensure you don’t overbuy and have to throw things away – you can even get the kids involved and use a whiteboard to draw it up.
Also, pinpoint what items you can bulk buy that will last, such as cleaning products or toiletries – this will save you money and also reduce the waste of buying smaller amounts more frequently. You may also want to meal prep, cooking a big batch of food and freezing the remaining food in containers. Airtight containers can store cereals, nuts, rice and pasta, enabling you to bulk buy and keep it fresh.
Buy Smart:
Making wiser buying choices is not only good for the planet but good for the purse, too. Start with buying less – consider the things that you actually need in your home, and avoid making unnecessary purchases. Try and aim for purchasing things with minimal packaging: did you know that when you purchase food in a supermarket, you could be paying more for the packaging than for the actual food item? Try and side-step this by making plastic-free choices or bringing your own containers to the supermarket – and always opt for loose fruit and veg.
Grow Your Own:
Everyone has a lot of time on their hands at the moment, and many people are also reconnecting with their garden. It’s therefore never been a more perfect time to flex your green fingers and try growing your own vegetables. This also has the added benefit of being a perfect way to put organic waste to good use by creating a compost heap. Composting uses the nutrients from food scraps, paper, coffee grounds, and other organic matter, to help you grow vegetables of your own. Once the compost has turned brown and slightly crumbly, it’s ready to be used. Not only this, but growing veg also is a chance to get the whole family connected with each other and with nature.
Reuse & Repurpose
Humanity is causing huge problems for our oceans, with plastic packaging polluting our seas and inflicting serious damage on marine health. Therefore, it’s a prime time to investigate reusables and repurposed items. Plastic bottles are a no-no, instead, treat yourself to a reusable water bottle to quench your thirst. Likewise, it’s easy to pick up cheap reusable cutlery and straws online which the whole family can use.
Also consider repurposing the teetering pile of waste in your home for other purposes. Maybe the old jam jar could hold your kids’ study stationary? Or perhaps the egg boxes could be used to grow mini plants? And of course, always remember to bring your reusable bags with you on shopping trips to prevent a plastic bag mountain from building up in your home. Simply put, just get creative and explore ways to give your waste a second chance at life.
Dispose Of Waste Wisely
Everyone can do their bit to reduce waste, but you can’t cut it out completely. That’s why it’s important to deal with the remaining waste in a responsible and environmentally-conscious way. For your own comfort, it’s also important to dispose of waste quickly and efficiently to ensure it doesn’t build up. Recycle wherever possible, always remembering to wash out containers before placing them in recycling – if you don’t, your recycling could be sent straight to landfill, bypassing your good intentions.
Also, if you’re planning a home or garden project during the coronavirus lockdown, you may be worried about how you will deal with the produced waste. Here at Hinton’s, we provide reliable, affordable skip hire to help you with household waste recycling. We endeavour to recycle up to 90% of the waste we collect thanks to our dedicated recycling plant.
In search of same day skip hire for the Sutton and Croydon area? Look no further than Hinton’s Waste, -we can help dispose of your lockdown waste safely and within government guidelines. We provide skips of varying sizes to suit any need and take care to recycle as much of the waste we collect as possible to divert it from landfill. Get in touch today and find out how we can help you.