{"id":85546,"date":"2020-08-28T04:54:35","date_gmt":"2020-08-28T11:54:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?p=85546"},"modified":"2026-04-15T01:36:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T08:36:15","slug":"10-efficient-ways-to-reduce-waste-in-your-home-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/daily-living\/10-efficient-ways-to-reduce-waste-in-your-home-life\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Simple Ways to Reduce Waste in Your Home & Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Waste reduction is one of the most important steps we can take as individuals to cause less harm to the environment<\/a>. But living in a pre-packaged world can make the task seem daunting. The good news is there are plenty of ways to reduce how much waste we produce<\/a> on a personal level. Here are ten simple and efficient ways to reduce waste, reuse more, and save some money in the process.<\/p>\n

Plan your meals before you shop<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Planning your meals comes with several advantages. Since you\u2019ll only buy as much as you need to cook the pre-planned meals, you will be wasting a lot less packaging. Also, if you\u2019re deliberate, you can purchase more fresh produce, avoiding the metal and plastic packaging preserved groceries come in. You\u2019ll also waste less food<\/a>, which not only means less food thrown in the trash<\/a>, but also fewer greenhouse gas emissions from the farms and factories your groceries come from and you\u2019ll waste less water. Plus, think of all the money you\u2019ll save<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Use the ‘First In, First Out’ rule<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"image<\/p>\n

When you get home with a fresh batch of groceries, place them at the back of the shelf and put the older ones at the front so you won\u2019t forget to use them. Whether we\u2019re talking fridge, pantry, or freezer, placing newly bought items at the back will keep the foods with closer expiration dates at the top of your mind and remind you they need to be used first, thus reducing food waste.<\/p>\n

Switch to plain food items<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s nothing like a bowl of granola or yogurt with fruit and oats to kick off your day in a healthy way. But too often, to satisfy our breakfast cravings, we purchase flavored yogurt, ready-made granola, several types of oatmeal, and much more. Instead of getting several individually packaged and pre-mixed items, purchase the plain versions of as many foods as you can, get some fresh or freeze-dried fruits, some flavorings like honey and peanut butter, and mix your own at home. You\u2019ll reduce food and plastic waste and end up with healthier and cheaper meals.<\/p>\n

Get refillable containers & on-the-go cutlery<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"reduce<\/p>\n

How many plastic or paper coffee cups do you use every week? How many small water bottles do you buy? How many times have you used single-use sandwich bags or cling film? Ditch everything that you get single uses from and purchase durable containers for your lunches or sandwiches. Furthermore, get reusable on-the-go coffee mugs for your hot drinks as well as for water bottles for your cold drinks. When it comes to cutlery, get metal or wooden spoons, forks, and knives for your workplace, and buy some reusable straws!<\/p>\n

Take your own packaging to the store<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Just like you can use durable containers to store your foods and drinks on the go, you can get plenty of reusable items to shop with. Instead of getting paper or plastic bags at the store, get a reusable plastic bag made of recycled plastic, woven polypropylene, or nylon. Cotton totes aren\u2019t your best option since it\u2019s more damaging<\/a> to produce them than just to get plastic, but they\u2019ll do in a pinch. You could also get a couple of containers to avoid the plastic bags in the fresh produce section or skip individually packaging them altogether \u2013 if they\u2019re not going to make a mess in your bag, just put them in there as is and gently wash them later. Lastly, if you can, find stores where you can buy items like oatmeal, cereal, and so on from a dispenser and bring your own containers.<\/p>\n

Ditch fast fashion & cheap furniture<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"modern<\/p>\n

Fast fashion and cheap furniture are some of the biggest offenders in terms of waste. Because of how quickly these items tear or break, you need to replace them much too often. This means a lot of water and energy are wasted in producing them, while you\u2019re throwing away considerably more trash. If you have the budget, invest in clothing you\u2019ll be able to wear for a long time and redecorate with furniture that won\u2019t break easily. And while we feel the need to look nice and switch our outfits up, you can also get a few quality pieces you can mix and match for years to come, and that will look better than their flimsy counterparts anyways.<\/p>\n

Borrow or share tools<\/strong><\/h2>\n

How often do you need a drill to use around your house? Or mow your lawn? Or use a pressure washer or a saw? Yes, having your own can come in handy if you\u2019re in an emergency, but how often do those really happen? Instead, you could borrow some from your neighbors, or purchase some together as a community. Imagine how nice it would be if your apartment building or neighborhood had a few items everyone could share and use only when you needed them. In apartment buildings you could even share an ironing board or a vacuum. Creative people around the world are even coming up with libraries<\/a> for these items.<\/p>\n

Maintain and repair your things<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"image<\/p>\n

This one is self-explanatory: don\u2019t throw things out just because they\u2019re broken. Take them to get repaired, or, better yet, hone your skills and learn to repair some of them yourself. This applies not only to appliances and furniture but to clothing as well. You can find plenty of guides online which will help you learn how to design beautiful patches, to stitch up clothes without leaving a trace, and more.<\/p>\n

Repurpose items you no longer need<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it<\/em>. But if it\u2019s broke and you can\u2019t fix it, you can try repurposing it and getting something new out of it in the process! From spaghetti jars to wine crates, plant pots, blankets, even bubble wrap \u2013 anything can be used to design something new and creative. Plus, you\u2019ll have unique things around your apartment and original clothing that you surely won\u2019t find at the store.<\/p>\n

Sell or donate things you don\u2019t use<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"woman<\/p>\n

Finally, if you have to get rid of something and it\u2019s still in working condition, don\u2019t just throw it away. Earn some extra cash by selling it or do some good and donate it! Either way is better than adding more waste to the planet\u2019s landfills.<\/p>\n

These are just some of the ways to reduce waste that you can implement at home, in your everyday life. While it takes some getting used to, if you start practicing today, you’ll see that most of these habits turn to second nature, and that in the long run, quality items and reusables are going to make life easier for you as well.<\/p>\n

Looking for eco-friendly apartments near you?\u00a0Browse through thousands of listings<\/a>\u00a0and find the perfect fit for your needs, big or small, central or suburban, pets or no pets.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Waste reduction is one of the most important steps we can take as individuals to cause less harm to the environment. But living in a pre-packaged world can make the task seem daunting. The good news is there are plenty of ways to reduce how much waste we produce on a personal level. Here are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":163,"featured_media":86074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38973],"tags":[38995],"class_list":["post-85546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-living","tag-sustainable-living","gallery-content-unit"],"yoast_head":"\nWays to Reduce Waste in Your Home Life to Implement Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are plenty of ways to reduce waste you create on an individual level. 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