Ways To Reduce Waste

We are running out of landfill site. Landfill site are one of the source of methane gas which is toxic. So it is important to reduce waste. I found many ways to reduce waste while reading the news paper that day. i thought maybe i could share what I have read for those who do not read the newspaper =D

Don't add waste heaps.

Separate paper, plastics, metal, glass and aseptic carton for recycling. If you cannot drop it at the recycling centre, leave them outside for the garbage collector. Recycling save the landscape of from dumps, reduce usage of energy and raw materials and prevents emission of methane.


Compost your kitchen and garden waste
return the energy and nutrient found in left over food and trimmings back to the soil instead of dumping them at landfills site. Find out more at compost.org.uk

Aim for zero waste
It's possible to recycle all your trash and then compost the organic waste.

Close the loop
There is no point recycling rubbish if you don't buy recycled products. there are so many kind of recycled products now in the market. I bought a pencil where they replaced the woody body with compact old news paper. It feels the same.

Say no to plastic bags
They do not degrade, mar the landscape and clog uprivers and seas. Plastics derive from petroleum, so producing them emits greenhouse gases too. Decline plastic bags if your purchase is small and easy to carry. Try not to accumulate plastic bags for a week and you will see it's not difficult.

Bring a bag
keep cloth bags in your car so they are always at hand when you want to go shopping or marketing

Use them again
Reuse plastic bags which is used to wrap vegetables in supermarket but don't try to remove the sticker as it will tear the flimsy bag, instead turn them inside out.

Trash free take away
Those small plastic bags and polystyrene clamshells used by food stall cannot be recycled. So use reusable food containers. Keep them handy in your car.

Shop at the pasar
Produce sold at wet market is cheaper and fresher and does not come wrapped in film or polystyrene.

Go for fresh
Why buy fruit juice in cartons and create waste? Recycling aseptic packaging use up alot of energy ad water. Juice fresh fruit instead. It will be free from preservatives, sweeteners, colourings and trash,

Lose the packaging
Avoid buying stuff with excess packaging. Or choose those with using recycled packaging. Cosmetics and perfumes tend to be over packaged. Write to your favourite brand and ask them to trim the packaging and set up a refill scheme.

Buy refills

Buy in bulk
Avoid products packed individually or for single use such as beverage sachets or biscuits in small packs. Those foils are not recycled and add to waste heaps.

Avoid aluminium foil and plastic wrap
Use a container with lid instead.

Repair before replacing
Buy things which are more durable.

Make more use of it
Avoid one-time use products such as disposable cutlery and razors. Choose products that can be reused

Buy second hand
No, you are not a cheapo, you are being ecologically responsible. You will avoid consuming all the energy needed to produce and ship a new product

Creative wrapping
Keeps ribbons and wrapping paper from presents and hampers for future use.

Go paperless
Send emails and ecards rather than letters, memos and cards.

Eliminate your paper trail!
Print and photocopy on two sides. Circulate documents via the intranet. Reuse envelopes, use waste paper as not paper, and cut old cards to make gift tags.

Say no to flyers

Refill water bottles
Recycle them if you don't need them anymore

Mind your e-waste
Send old computers, mobile phones, CDs, batteries and other electronic to a responsible recycler.

Bag your trash
When hiking on forest trails, take a trash bag with you. No garbage truck piles that route!

Think Before you throw

Bring your own
Keep spare cutlery in your bad so that when eating in food courts, you won't have to use disposable cutlery.

Decline needless freebies
why take in free jug or mug when you have no use for it? They'll just clutter your home and end up as junk.

Tool pool
Many electrical appliances and gadgets are unnecessary. besides they consume energy, clutter out home, cause pollution when produce and create waste when no longer useful. Borrow or share equipment which you don't use very often, or buy second hand.

Old but wearable
Donate old but wearable clothes to the poor, a charity or a recycling scheme. Some companies send them to countries like Cambodia and Vietnam where they are sold as second hand clothes.

Reuse old t-shirt
Use them as rags or kitchen towels

Design for the environment
Make products which can be reused and recycled and do not end up as waste.

Practise green purchasing
Always choose goods which produce minimals waste and cause least damage to the environment.

Buy only what you need.

Don't be a mall rat
Take a break from the consumerism culture " shop till you drop ". Support buy nothing a day instead ( buynothingaday.org.uk ), better still why not do it once a week or once a month?

Be a green shopper.
Start considering these before you start purchasing something: Can it be reused when you are done with it? what are the recycled content? Is it excessively packaged?

Let's make a swap
Put up a box in your office for stuff which you no longer need but others might find useful such as toys, kitchen wares, books etc etc.

Live simply!
Every product we use, whether it's a paper cup, dress or car, leaves an ecological foot print. Think about living with less, so as to tread lighter on earth.