Things You Can Do At Home
Every step we take toward reducing waste and pollution can add up to a big difference over days, weeks, months, and years! Start small and keep building your climate friendly habits. Planet Earth will thank you.
Reduce Household Waste
On average, Americans produce approximately 4.4 pounds of trash per person per day. These eco-friendly suggestions are easy and will have a lasting impact.
▢ Be sure to recycle properly. Batteries, paints, lightbulbs, and electronics, have certain recycling needs. Don’t put them in the trash! Home Depot offers lightbulb and rechargeable battery recycling drop-off within the store. Keep an eye out for community electronic recycling (e-cycling) or hazardous waste events near you and take your items there. California residents can easily find the proper recycling venue closest to home.
▢ Choose items with the least amount of packaging possible.
▢ Donate all unwanted items (clothing, books, electronics, household items). Libraries will take your books, many charities will pick up your other donated items, such as Vietnam Veterans of America, and it’s easy to schedule a pick-up online. This article outlines many more options for clothing donation, as well as more of the benefits.
▢ Buy used when possible. Many places have local recyclers or trading groups, so you are likely to find one in your area. When purchasing secondhand items you’ll likely be supporting local charities as well as saving items from ending up in a landfill.
▢ Save trees, save money, and use less landfill space by consuming fewer wood-based products. For example, use cloth napkins at home, opt for e-bills and on-line newspapers/magazines, only use your printer when necessary, and print on both sides of a sheet of paper.
▢ Does your home have asbestos? Asbestos can cause cancer, and if not recycled or disposed of, those nearby can be exposed to dangerous asbestos fibers. Learn more about asbestos recycling a at Mesothelioma Hope’s website.
Reduce Food Waste
Are you aware that reducing food waste is one of the leading solutions to climate change? Moreover, household food waste accounts for 37% of total food loss and waste in the United States. It is within your power to make a difference!
▢ Don’t toss food out. Use and/or repurpose your leftovers. Doing so saves money, saves landfill space, saves trips to the store, and saves you time in the kitchen. The options are endless, so get started and get creative in the kitchen.
▢ Avoid purchasing single use items such as a 6-pack of small yogurt when you can get a tub instead.
▢ Compost your food scraps or be sure to get them in the “green” food recycling garbage bin.
▢ Try not to buy more than you are likely to eat before it spoils. Purchasing wisely can greatly reduce food waste in landfills which emits methane, a big source of greenhouse emissions.
▢ Reconsider the mantra that fresher food is always better. Frozen food actually results in 47% less food waste than fresh. More importantly, fresh food past its peak has lost more quality and nutrients than its frozen counterpart.
▢ Use your refrigerator space wisely to prolong the shelf life of your produce. Those storage bins are not extra space, but are specifically designed to keep certain produce either in high or low humidity depending on their needs.
Reduce Pollution
Individual actions do add up! Read on and adopt some new habits right now. It can be easier than you think and you’ll feel good about helping make a difference.
▢ Don’t idle your car longer than absolutely necessary, and never in an enclosed (or partially enclosed) location.
▢ Invest in an electric or hybrid vehicle if possible.
▢ Make a habit of using a reusable water bottle. Did you know that it takes 3 liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water? How many single use plastic water bottles do you think are used in the United States every hour?
▢ Get your to-go coffee in a reusable mug too!
▢ Skip the straw and single-use plastic foodware. Keep a set of silverware at work along with a plate, bowl and cup that you can wash and reuse. Skip the plastic straw altogether or buy reusable metal ones instead.
▢ The sewer system and storm drain systems are different. In most locations, items rinsed on your driveway or into/near the gutter go directly into the storm drain system which flows into the ocean or other bodies of water without any filtering. Trash dropped on a sidewalk, street, and even planted areas will ultimately end up in the storm drain system and will flow into the ocean, lakes, and streams.
Ways to Get Involved
Individual actions are important to reduce waste and pollution, but we need everyone to contribute – companies, governments, politicians, friends, family, and neighbors. Here are some ways to spread the word and make your voice heard.
Volunteer and Participate in Efforts to Reduce Pollution and Waste
In addition to building better habits at home that reduce waste and pollution, you can make an ever bigger difference by volunteering. Studies show that volunteering provides an immense personal benefit too.
- Help at a local food bank.
- Participate in a neighborhood or beach cleanup. Check out volunteer options near you. Try a google search or even eventbrite to find opportunities that fit your interests.
- Most charitable organizations encourage volunteer help. Look for one in your neighborhood.
Proactively Contact Your Politicians
Tackling issues of waste and pollution requires action and informed decisions at all levels of government – city, county, state/province, and federal. Proactively contact your representatives, from city council to mayor to governor to federal congress representatives. Let them know that keeping your neighborhood, city, county and planet clean is important to you, and that you vote accordingly.
- Yes, there are a lot of representatives to contact, so if you can’t do it all, make a plan to contact 1 or 2 a week, and schedule it.
- Common Cause makes finding your elected politicians easy.
Stay Informed About Legislation and Get Involved
Advocating for better policies surrounding waste and pollution can take many forms. It may mean joining a local climate advocacy email list, or keeping up to date with city council agendas.
- When climate related proposals arise, contact your representatives and make your voice heard. An email may be enough. You can also pay a visit to your city council meeting.
- Remember, challenging policies and decisions can result in change, even little ones that will add up.
Where to Learn More
Waste and pollution are complex and challenging issues. You can learn more from these resources.
Educate Yourself on Issues Regarding Food Waste
Learn more about food waste globally as well as how to make a difference at home. There are many resources and it can be overwhelming, so here are some places to help you get inspired.
- Harvard School of Public Health is a great resource to read up on food waste globally and also provides information on how to address food waste at home.
Stop Food Waste organization highlights issues on food waste, scarcity, and gives many suggestions on how to tackle them.
Follow Organizations Addressing Pollution and Waste
Keeping up to date on these and all climate issues can be daunting. Here are some suggestions which provide a wealth of information.
- Sign up for the ReFed newsletter and keep up to date on food waste issues.
- National Geographic offers a series on plastic pollution on our planet. Read one or all to level up your pollution knowledge.
- Project Drawdown provides excellent “big picture” perspectives backed by sound science and data. Check out the website and sign up for the newsletter.
- For more scientific articles about food and food waste, check out the numerous articles and studies at Phys.org.