Getting Rid of Waste in Your House – Remember the 3 R’s

Has too much junk piled up in your home? If the answer is yes, then it’s time to reduce it. But where do you start and how can you do it while keeping the environment safe? A significant amount of waste already goes in the dumpster and to the landfills, but you can play your part in decreasing these amounts. How? By getting rid of waste smartly and recycling whatever you can. Sound confusing? Remember the 3R’s and you can reduce your waste in an eco friendly manner.

Reduce

Reducing waste is a key element if you are concerned about the environment.  This is not exactly linked to getting rid of junk, but if you practice reducing waste techniques, you will not have so much junk to throw away.

There are many ways to reduce waste in your house. For instance, you should use reusable bags and containers whenever you go to the mall or the grocery store. Are any of your household items damaged? Try repairing them before you think about replacing.

How do you get your bills? E-billing is the trend now, and if you have yet to switch, now is the time. Also go through the mail you receive. For an average resident, around 30 pounds of mail received in a year is nothing but junk. Make sure you do not receive any of these next year, and if you do, recycle instead of tossing. What do you do about food waste and yard waste? They account for approximately 11% of the garbage thrown away each year. Instead, try compositing them.

Reuse

Are there any items in your house that you do not want anymore? Don’t throw it away yet. Is the item in a usable condition? Great, conduct a garage sale and you could do a lot with the small income you derive.  On a busy schedule?  What about selling all these items online? If you do not find this appealing, you could donate these items to a charity. This will even give you a tax deduction, helping you save even more.

Recycle

Did you know that 40% of what you throw away can be easily recycled? The problem is hardly anyone understands just how much can be recycled. In most areas of the country, there are recycling programs and more cities now provide curbside pick up for recycling.

Source: www.rethinkrecycling.com