ZERO WASTE HOUSEHOLD

A zero waste home means throwing NOTHING away....is this even remotely possible?  The answer is YES! By simply following these six simple steps, a zero waste household is closer to reality than you might think!  

Six Simple Steps to a Zero Waste Household:

This is the last in a series of SIX Recycling Posts....

1. REFUSE
Just say NO! This means that you SHOULD NOT accept anything onto your property or into your home that you know can not or will not be recycled, redistributed, repurposed, reused, etc.  

THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE MOST IMPORTANT CHOICE YOU CAN MAKE TOWARD HAVING A ZERO WASTE HOUSEHOLD!

Here are some my personal favorite examples:

• Buy meat, fish etc.  from a butcher wrapped in paper and twine.  REFUSE products that come in a styrofoam dish, with plastic wrap and absorbent inserts.
• Do the same for fresh vegetables. REFUSE anything that comes in packaging that cannot be recycled.  Side note: are packaged 'fresh' vegetables really that fresh anyway???
• Only buy products such as butter, etc.  in containers that can be easily recycled.  If the product comes in a #5 plastic which is very difficult to recycle then REFUSE to buy it and find a brand that comes in a container you know you can recycle such as #1 or #2 plastics, metal, or glass.
• REFUSE disposable products that will only take up landfill space and waste your money over time.  Choose instead to use products that can be reused such as grocery bags, coffee filters, and diapers. More about this below!
• REFUSE your junk mail!  You have the right to refuse ANY AND ALL mail that comes to your home and is in your name SO LONG AS IT IS NOT OPENED and was not a special delivery that was physically accepted by someone in your household (then it is too late). Write "REFUSED" on it where your address is, and place it back in your mailbox for pick up just like if you were sending out mail.  You can also drop it off at your local post office, or put it in a blue USPS mail box.  Heres why you can do this as per the USPS Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/508.htm,
  Recipient options include: 
  • 1.1.2 Refusal At Delivery - The addressee may refuse to accept a mailpiece when it is offered for delivery. 
  • 1.1.3 Refusal After Delivery - ​After delivery, an addressee may mark a mailpiece "Refused" and return it within a reasonable time, if the piece or any attachment is not opened. 
  • Mail that may not be refused and returned unopened under this provision may be returned to the sender only if it is enclosed in a new envelope or wrapper with a correct address and new postage. The following may not be refused and returned postage-free after delivery: a. Pieces sent as Registered Mail, insured, Certified Mail, collect on delivery (COD), Adult Signature and return receipt for merchandise. b. Response mail to the addressee's sales promotion, solicitation, announcement, or other advertisement that was not refused when offered to the addressee. Note: if you are receiving mail like this then it is probably something important and not junk mail!
  • NOT SURE IF IT'S JUNK MAIL? Find out how to tell the difference here: https://sites.google.com/site/refuseyourmail/determining-junk
  • For more information on why you should REFUSE your junk mail go here: https://sites.google.com/site/refuseyourmail/faq

2. RECYCLE
Know what you are able to recycle at your local facility or through your local waste pick-up and make sure you recycle it properly! Most communities recycle #1 and #2 plastics, aluminum cans, glass jars, newspapers and magazines.  

Don't forget about recycling the strange things your local community does not:

• Plastic Grocery Bags - drop these in the drop box in the front of stores such as Rite Aide and Best Buy! And guess what...you can fill them with other food products bags to recycle as well!  Plastic bread bags, sandwich and storage baggies, packaging bags, etc. can all be recycled in the same bin as the grocery bags!  Just make sure they are clean and dry and you are good to go!
• Electronic Wires/Cables, CD's, DVD,s, etc.  - Many of these can be put in the Kiosk in the front of any Best Buy store.
• Motor Oil - take it to your local Pep Boys or anywhere it was purchased - same goes for vehicle batteries.

Read in more detail about what can be recycled and how....
(click on a picture to read more!)

3. REDISTRIBUTE
This means to sell or donate items that can still be useful to someone else!  One mans junk is another mans treasure....I don't know who said that but it couldn't be more true!  Items such as furniture, clothes, household items, cell phones, toys, and more can be easily sold or donated.

For more information on Selling and Donating click on the picture below!

4. REPURPOSE
If you can't do the first three, then maybe you can find a way to repurpose the product for something else.  You may be surprised at all the creative ways that exist to repurpose the strangest items!  Even some common every day items like tires!  

Click on the picture below for a slide show that shares some really awesome ideas!

5. REUSE
Theres nothing better than buying or making products that can be reused over and over and over again.  Stop bringing disposables into your home!  They are a waste of money and they needlessly add to landfills.  

A few of the worst offenders (in my opinion):

• Diapers: The amount of diapers thrown out in a single day alone would blow anyones mind!  Sure, I get it, who wants to wash disgusting dirty diapers? But remember, it's not for that long (Think about the incentive to get kids potty trained?).  If it's really that horrible, then look into the many companies out there that you can pay to do it for you!  Check out The National Diaper Service Directory to locate a a professional diaper cleaning service near you that will deliver fresh clean cloth diapers to your door!
• Styrofoam Coffee Cups: If you alone buy one cup of coffee in a styrofoam cup every day on your way to work, that totals 260 styrofoam cups a year that you are throwing away.  Multiply that by the number of people doing this at least 5 days a week, times the number of years we all work....and well I think you get the picture.  Ideally styrofoam will be outlawed some day...but for now it is here to stay.  But YOU can make a difference. Buy a reusable coffee  mug and bring that to the local store to buy your coffee in every day.  And guess what...most stores will give you a discount on the price of the coffee.  That's right, you will probably pay less!  My local store charges 25 cents less when I use my reusable mug.  That is a savings of more than $50  a year and I am not contributing needlessly to a landfill...
• Plastic Grocery Bags: With this being all over the news I know I don't have to say much here, however I will say that you have two alternative choices: Choose paper or bring your own reusable bags. Both are better than the plastic for several reasons.  The paper holds more than the plastic and it can be recycled.  The reusable bags hold more, are easier to carry, and they do not rip and drop your groceries all over the floor!  Enough said.

Click on the picture below to check out some of the many products that can be reused!

6. REDUCE
Not only does this mean reduce what you need and use overall,  but it also means to reduce what garbage still remains in your home after steps 1-5 above. Here are a few that still remain....

• FRESH Food Scraps - Fresh food scraps should be composted. You can compost any fresh, uncooked,  fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, and used coffee grinds.  You CANNOT compost cooked food scraps.  For more about what you can and cannot compost check out EPA Composting at Home.
• COOKED Food Leftovers - The goal here is to try NOT to have any leftovers!  If you do have leftovers, then do your best to save them to be reused.  For example: have a "leftover dinners night."  Maybe you didn't have enough left each night for your whole family to have dinner, but if you wait a few nights, suddenly it all adds up to more than enough for a leftover night!  Not enough left to use for another dinner?  Then here's a tip: If I have a tiny bit of vegetable, meat, rice or pasta left over, instead of throwing it out I put it into a small baggie, write the date on it, and put it into a large freezer bag in the freezer.  When I make my homemade soup I pull all those little baggies out and wallah!  Awesome homemade soup!
• PAPER THAT IS NOT RECYCLABLE:  Some paper is not recyclable.  For example: used tissues, q-tips, cotton balls, paper towels, toilet paper and paper towel cardboard tubes, etc.  You get the picture.  These are usually not permitted in the community paper recycling bin for obvious reasons.  So what can be done with them?  As long as it is pure paper (for example NOT coated milk cartons, etc), it may be possible to burn them in an outdoor fireplace pit.  Let me make this clear: YOU SHOULD NOT BURN GARBAGE.  WE DO NOT ADVOCATE, NOR IS IT LEGAL OR SAFE TO BURN HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE.  Burning garbage in fact can be very dangerous and very illegal depending upon where you live.  We are only saying that depending upon where you live, it may be possible to burn the very small amount of pure paper waste that cannot be recycled.  If you are considering doing this, you must check your local laws and it must be done safely.  The pit must have sides and a cover so floating ashes cannot get away and start a fire elsewhere.  ONE LAST TIME: CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FIRST!

? WHATS LEFT ?
Hopefully nothing or a very small amount if you have done everything in the pyramid from the top down!

Remember, be creative and find a way!  Go to Google and see what other options there are for disposing of particular items before putting them in the garbage!

Simply throwing stuff out, as easy as it is to do, should be the absolute last resort!

Most importantly, remember to make it easy for yourself BY CHOOSING TO NOT LET IT ENTER YOUR HOME IN THE FIRST PLACE!

FREE RECYCLING CHART:
Click on the picture or the button below to download a FREE pdf file!

RECYCLING FLOW CHART FREE PDF FILE

Visit our page Household Waste for additional information and check out our Pinterest Boards for more great ideas:

• Recycling (different ideas on what, how, and where to recycle)
• Selling & Donating (find ideas and places to sell and donate all kinds of items!)
• Repurposing (a plethora of unique and creative ideas...)
• Reusable Items (includes many products you may not have heard of before!)

Thank you for visiting!
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