8 Easy Ways to Reduce Waste

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As a human race, we’re running out of places to put our plastic waste. Our disposable lifestyles are catching up with us and we need to act now to start reducing the amount of single-use plastic we consume. Check out 8 ways to reduce waste that takes minimal effort!

I had the pleasure of interviewing my friend Katy (IG: weweresowasted) last month and she was able to give us some really great ideas for easy changes we can all make to reduce our waste.

Bar Soap

Bar soaps instead of liquid, and to replace shave cream. Vegan coconut oil soap is cheap and moisturizing. Zinc soap is cheap and great for acne. Olive oil soap is great for dry skin. All on Amazon, all affordable. There’s a bar for every need. Literally disposes of itself.

Cloth Grocery Bags

Cloth bags for groceries (and ask for paper if you forget). Most people have fifty of these laying around from promotional giveaways. Put ‘em to use! Make it a habit to throw them in your car or invest in one of these key chain bags for quick trips. You can also request that your grocery delivery service uses paper bags or boxes to reduce waste if you use them to grocery shop.

Reusable Straws

Reusable straws, at home and on the go. Convenient to carry around and easy to wash. Straws are a low-hanging fruit when it comes to reducing waste. We really don’t need them so you can choose to forgo it entirely if you don’t have a reusable option on hand. I love drink from a straw though so I really like that there are reusable options available.

Reusable “Paper” Towels

Huck towels instead of paper towels for cleaning and food prep. Use these in place of paper towels in all areas of your house. Cleaning, food prep, napkins, wiping faces and hands. I also like these basic washcloths on Amazon. But you can always cut up old t-shirts or towels if you have those on hand already.

Reuse Gift Bags, Foil or Paper

Reuse gift bags, aluminum foil, scrap paper. Think before you toss! Can someone else use it? Can you use it again? You can even cut a greeting card in half and write on the the back of it to give to someone else! This is an incredibly easy way to reduce waste.

Replace One-Use Cleaning Cloths

Use washcloths & cleaning solution (vinegar or store bought) instead of Swiffer and Clorox wipes. This is way cheaper in the long run, and you can get packs of 20 wash cloths for cheap. You still get the convenience of a wet-cloth system but you aren’t tossing tons of plastic in the garbage everyday!

Menstrual Cup

Menstrual cups replace tampons and pads and in my opinion, they are way more comfortable! It’s a soft, silicone cup that you insert in your vagina, similiar to a tampon, but you rinse and reuse it over and over again. Most brands have different sizes for pre/post-pregnancy so anyone can use them.

I have used one for about 7 years and I’ll never go back. I recently starting using the Duchess Cup and it’s extremely comfortable and economical. For $15 I will have period protection for up to 10 years and month after month, nothing ends up in a landfill.

If you have never used one, I highly recommend you give it a try. This is definitely the easiest ways I’ve ever reduced my waste and I wish I would have done it even sooner.

Reusable Water Bottles & Coffee Cups

This is a pretty basic one but I feel like people still need to be reminded of it, myself included. Starbucks, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Panera and Chipotle will all let you use your own cup on regular drink purchases. Just ask and give them you cup before they make your drink. (Avoid doing this in the drive-thru as they will typically just pour the drink from the take-away cup into your reusable one defeating the purpose.)

Always be courteous when asking to do to this at any restaurant as this is a newer “trend” and lots of times the employees aren’t used to it. You’ll catch more bees with honey by being polite and give them some info on why you’re doing it if they ask. Knowledge is power!

So there you have it, 8 easy ways to reduce waste. I highly encourage you to give one or two a try and let me know how it goes in the comments below. If you have an easy way to reduce waste, I’d love to know about it!