Ensuring Good Waste Management for Your Home

Excessive waste produced due to mass production and unrestrained consumption can lead to many environmental issues. Every year, Americans generate over 35 million tons of plastics. We all need to play our part in reducing waste. It can start right from our homes, from recycling to proper trash hauling. Here’s how you can ensure good waste management for your home.

Types of Waste

Let us first look at the type of household waste we generate.

1.   Organic Waste

Organic waste refers to the decomposable waste created by living organisms, such as leftover food, rotten meat, and vegetable peels commonly found in our homes and kitchens. Dispose of organic waste separately from your other trash, as microorganisms can convert it into manure upon decomposition, which you can use as a plant fertilizer. However, if it is left piled up in landfills without sufficient airflow, it produces methane, a gas that contributes more to the greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide. If you cannot use organic waste in your home, ensure that your trash-disposing company makes compost instead of throwing everything in the dump.

2.   Recyclable Waste

Waste consisting of metals, glass, and paper is recyclable. If you’re unsure if something is recyclable, check for the recyclable label on the packaging. Separate recyclable items into a recycling bin or send them to a reliable recycling plant.

3.   Hazardous Waste

All flammable, corrosive, and toxic materials, such as fertilizers, paint thinners, and batteries that can harm the environment fall under this category. In an ideal situation, you would contact a waste removal company to separate and dispose of them.

4.   Liquid Waste

Grease, dirty water, detergents, and even rainwater are common liquid wastes. Manufactured liquid waste is referred to as point-source waste, while natural liquid waste is non-point-source waste. You can dispose of liquid waste through containment by storing the liquid in tanks or providing treatment by reusing them.

Root-zone treatment can be used for kitchen or sink water. Liquid waste will pass through sedimentation tanks and other filtration procedures. After which, it flows through live bed plant roots before being released for use. However, this can be an expensive process.

Improving Waste Management at Your Home

Let us now look at a few tips you can utilize to improve waste management at your home.

1.   Avoid or Reuse Plastics

Plastic waste is difficult to manage as you cannot recycle it. You should instead use alternatives; for example, you can use recyclable bottles and grocery bags and store your kitchen items in glass instead of disposable plastic bags and bottles. By carrying your bottles, you may save money by reducing your purchase of additional beverages. Grocery stores often give you a refund of 5 cents if you bring your own bag. Complete elimination of plastic use is challenging, so buy durable or biodegradable plastics whenever you can.

2.   Composting

Composting can be taxing, but it offers optimal returns, especially if you have a garden. Create a compose site or invest in a compost bin to dispose of your organic waste. You will no longer need to use conventional fertilizers, which cause soil and water pollution. Instead, you will get quality manure to improve your yield. Composting reduces your ecological footprint.

3.   Electronic Transitions

You don’t need to ask shop owners to print out your transactions. You can transfer money to them through RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement). Consider buying an e-book or using digital subscriptions to save money and paper. Get a soft copy of your bill or e-receipts, which are environmentally friendly and harder to lose.

4.   Shop From Organic Markets

Shopping from organic or farmers’ markets will allow you to support your local farmers. Many organic stores give you the option of bringing your own jars, meaning you won’t need packaging while getting fresh ingredients. You can also buy in bulk which can be cheaper and come with reduced packaging. 

Alternatively, you can use meal plans to know what you need to buy weekly from the organic market, preventing food waste by buying just the amount of food you need.

5.   Declutter and Donate

Hoarded items can also make decluttering and waste management a challenge. Do not hoard things that are not of use to you. Instead, give them away to friends, family, schools, and shelters.

Endnote

To effectively manage your waste at home, you first need to know the different types of waste to separate them efficiently. Disposing of your hazardous waste with regular waste can make recycling difficult. If the waste ends up in landfills instead of waste treatment centers, it can lead to pollution. Companies that provide waste and trash hauling services can help meet your specific needs.

Photo by Jilbert Ebrahimi on Unsplash