Breaking the trash habit: 6 things to consider before you dispose of anything

Hi, my name is Tim and I had a trash habit.  I’m still in recovery, always will be.  But I am getting better.

Sound a bit too dramatic to you?  Granted, mindless consumption and thoughtless wasting is much different than alcoholism or many other diseases – more passive and hiding in the background – but it reaches beyond the confines of your house, your family, and your friends.

You see, a trash habit is just that…a habit.  It’s not something we think about, ponder, or consciously decide to do.  Nope.  We just walk to that corner of the kitchen and chuck whatever is in our hands.  We’re done with it so why hold on to it any longer?

We are ALL guilty of it.  We make purchase decisions that are less than informed, our municipalities give the appearance of responsibility by providing recycling services on one side of the street but not the other, and manufacturers waste so much on packaging that it requires special skills and tools to penetrate.

All the while, the kids are screaming in the back seat, the recycling crew manages to get about 60% of the recyclables in the truck on pickup day, and the quick fix dinner is boiling out of control on the stovetop.

Who has time to consider the impact on the landfill?  Who could possibly spare one extra minute to consider the remaining value in that so called trash?

There are some that think Zero Waste is possible.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  I’m not sure if it’s something that will be realized in my household but I do know that the simple act of analyzing my waste has led to changes in my purchasing habits.

We went from a bag or two of trash a week to less than 2 a month.  Some things get repurposed and reused.  Others are taken to recycling.  And once we have our composting system setup here at the new house (we moved to Wyoming a few months ago) we should cut that down to just a bag a month.

Here’s how we did it.

 

6 easy ways to keep trash out of the landfill:

Cut waste before the purchase

One of the most effective ways to reduce waste is by changing the things you buy.  When you can, buy bulk to avoid wasteful packaging.  Once you’ve analyzed your trash you will know which products are packaged in a truly wasteful way.  For example, the foil from single serving yogurt is often not recyclable so consider buying the larger plastic tubs which can be recycled.  Of course, making your own cuts out the plastic altogether!

Compost food scraps

For my family, most of our trash is compostable food scraps.  We eat a ton of fruit and fresh produce so most of that could find its way into the compost bin.  Now that we’re settled into our new surroundings I have no excuses for not doing a compost bin.  It’s at the top of my list and it should be at the top of yours too.

Recycle/Reuse/Repurpose

You may not think so initially but finding ways to recycle, reuse, and repurpose items you previously would have trashed is a very exciting exercise.  My boys – 3 and 6 years old – love to help at the recycling drop off center.

We rinse out Ziploc type plastic bags and reuse them.  Micro-perforated bags are essential for keeping greens just-picked fresh and a great way to get the maximum life out of those large storage bags.

Repurposing has become an art form if you ask me.  Last summer I transformed a pair of wooden lounge chairs into a set of patio tables.  I’ve received more compliments on those than any other furniture we own.  That’s empowering and the ideas will begin to flow for you too when you start to look for the value that your trash still has.

Avoid single use items

Single use items are the worst.  That’s a fact.  Bottled water, paper towels, plastic cups.  They all have much more viable alternatives.

Use a travel mug, reusable coffee filter, stainless steel water bottle, kitchen towels and cloth napkins, or reusable shopping bags to cut down on the trash at your curb each week.  It might surprise you just how much you’ve been wasting.

Learn to salvage

Bulk trash day is a goldmine.  Just ask Dave.  The pain in his voice on a recent call made me think something terrible had happened.  It had.  The neighbor was trashing a few sections of wood fence now that a synthetic fence had been installed and Dave missed the opportunity to grab it before the garbage guys.

You might be thinking that salvaging is just a different source for consumption, a way for you to grab things that you see still have value to you.  But it can also be a tool for reducing your waste.

Thinking about scrapping that old refrigerator?  Rather than sending it to the dump try putting it on your curb the day before bulk trash day with a sign inviting others to grab it.  They might use it for parts or a beer fridge in the garage.  You could do the same with old fencing, plastic storage bins, or anything else others might find value in.

Fix before you replace

It’s quite common for Americans to just opt for something new.  If a kid’s toy breaks we just toss it and buy another.  When the coffee table gets banged up or a scratch on the surface we start surfing the web for a replacement.

But our first reaction should be to fix it.  I will grant you this, most products we buy today are designed to fail and to make it difficult for you to fix.  The small plastic piece in the sunroof of my truck – yep, plastic – can not be replaced.  The manufacturer requires that the entire assembly is replace.  That means the glass, the tracks, the motor.  Brilliant design, right!

But there is hope, many items can be fixed or repaired with just a little effort.  The scratch on the coffee table could be repaired with just a little time and effort on the weekend.  I have two end tables that need to be re-stained and they’ll look better than new.  The cost to me will be less than $20 and a few hours of time.  That’s a far cry from the cost of replacing them.

The homework assignment

Starting today, question everything you put into your trash.  Can it be recycled?  Can you buy it in bulk or in alternative packaging?  Can you use it in some other way?  Could it go into compost?

Then create a plan to minimize what makes it to your curb.  Buy or build a compost bin.  Find out what your recycling program accepts.  Figure out what you can buy in bulk or cut out altogether.

Make a plan now and compare the differences over two weeks.  Can you cut your trash in half?  By a third?  Can you reduce it 75%?

Your assignment is to act now.  Do what you need to do today to reduce the waste you create.  It isn’t rocket science, far from it, and it only takes a little time and effort to see amazing results.

About the “Foundation Series” lessons

Our Foundation Series course is part of your free membership and allows you to explore the fundamental beliefs and core concepts of homesteading in the modern world.  You get two new lessons delivered to your inbox each week for a total of 21 lessons.  Just like this lesson, each one contains the links to the previous lessons.

Be sure to keep an eye out for new lessons in your inbox each week!

Start with our Foundation Series overview: Introduction to the 7 Core Values of the Modern Steader

Here’s the list of previous lessons for your reference:

1. 7 habits of highly successful modern steaders
2. Becoming Comfortable with Discomfort
3. The physical and mental challenges of the modern steader lifestyle and why it’s all worth it
4. Why Connected Self-Reliance?
5. 25 evaluation benchmarks for establishing your Self-Reliance Baseline
6. Learning Self-Reliance: 3 ways to change your world view
7. Drawing the line between Want and Need
8. Pursuing a Different Kind of Knowledge
9. The Knowledge Vault for Modern Steaders
10. Lost Inheritance: How we are running the risk of losing some craft skills forever
11. 7 sustainable practices your Grandma never taught you
12. Hobbies to Homesteading: Why craft skills are essential for a steader
13. Rediscovering the Natural World
14. Celebrate the harvest and eat the Seasons
15. Abundance and Scarcity in Nature
16. Effective time management for modern steaders