We used to be one of those families that wouldn’t think twice about buying water bottles, black plastic containers, and straws. YES! I’m ashamed to admit it, but that was us. The household that maximized their garbage allowance, and didn’t care much about the city recycling program!
As an elementary school teacher, I became more involved in the eco-schools program. It taught me to become more aware of the footprints we leave on this earth. Teaching by example, I slowly adopted these practices into my classroom and thus into my home. I learned how the waste that we produce will stay on this planet for generations to come. How a plastic bottle will take 500 years to decompose, and a plastic bag almost 1000 years.
One of the global goals that many countries have agreed upon is that we need to reduce our carbon output. Reducing our carbon output means that we need to produce less, use less, expend less, and reuse what we already have, among other things.
In our plight to become better citizens of the earth, my family and I have adopted a few rules that help us to move closer towards our goal of zero waste. Here I share with you some of the most effective ways that we have reduced our waste to one-tenth the amount it used to be.
To learn more about zero waste read: The Zero Waste Challenge.
- Reduction in Our Plastic
Yes, we still consume SOME plastic, but today we are much more conscious about it. We have replaced many of our disposable plastics items with reusable or compostable items. Plastic water bottles, straws, and plastic containers for food have been replaced with glass and metal versions.
Almost all plastic that does come into the household is recyclable. We have made a point to get to know the different types of plastic, and what our local recycling facility can handle. For example, black plastic is non-recyclable, and so it is avoided during our grocery trips.
Learning to make things that were once bought is another habit that we have adopted. Making muffins, pizza, and bread instead of buying them has saved thousands of plastic bags from landfills.
- Switch to Home Composting
We were lucky to live in a jurisdiction where the city picks up compostable food waste, such as banana peels, chicken bones, and vegetable scraps. Despite having this service, we still opted to install our own composter in our backyard. Making our own compost has been a decision to limit transporting our waste to a facility, and also allows us to use the composted material in the garden.
Home composting may not be available to everyone depending on their living situation. If you live in an apartment building or in a very urban area, it may be better to consider composting with a small kitchen device such as this one: Vitamix Food Cycler.
- Sell/Donate Unwanted Items
Selling our stuff has not only helped to reduce our waste drastically, but it has also allowed us to pay for weekend trips and other frivolities. Today, it has become increasingly easy and safe to sell your unwanted items online. Furniture, usable kids’ clothing, tools, kitchen stuff, and electronics are among the many things that sell very well online.
If selling isn’t your thing, many donation associations will even find ways to recycle goods that are no longer usable. Our local Value Village will send unusable clothing to be recycled into new threads. 
- Buy Quality, Repurpose, Reuse
Our mentality towards our things has changed. Gone are the days where we are trying to accumulate more cheaply made goods only to watch them break shortly after. We let in only what is quality and what will last. That means saving for a better set of glass containers, sustainable clothing, or shoes.
On all accounts, we try our best to reuse and repurpose our things that are no longer intended for their original use. When pants develop holes in the knee, we sew them into shorts, and when coffee tins empty they become storage containers.
- Deny Fast Fashion
Gone are the days of cruising the mall for cheap finds and trendy wear. As I have come to know, the fashion industry is one of the worst contributors to pollution in the world! Not only does it send thousands of waste to landfills every year, but it also pollutes the air and water with the millions of chemicals that are used in its production.
Today we take the time to choose our clothing wisely. With a growing family, we buy clothing and footwear secondhand, reducing the need for new chemicals, fabrics, and packaging. When we do buy new, we find sustainable clothing companies where clothing can withstand the test of time and durability. Choosing better clothing means less waste on our curb every week.
How You Can Do it Too
Choosing to reduce your waste is a great step in the right direction. Start small, committing to one thing at a time. Perhaps it is easier for you to start selling unwanted things online, or replacing some of your disposable plastic items with reusable ones. Take the time to adapt to one change before hopping onto the next.
Trying out new and sustainable products made of bamboo, organic cotton, Steel, Tencel, or glass is one of the many things you can do to reduce your waste. We’re all in this together, this is the planet that we live on, taking care of it is not an option.
About the Author
Eva Petruzziello is the Editor-in-Chief of Simple n’ Delight, a website about sustainable living. She is the mother of two children, and an elementary teacher in Toronto, Canada. She is a leader for Eco-Schools and teaches children how to live a more sustainable and environmentally sound life. In her own household, she embraces steps towards a zero-waste lifestyle by composting, recycling, and adopting sustainable strategies to save money and keep our planet green. Follow Eva on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.
