Tips + tricks to help you reduce the amount of waste you create, with simple options for reducing your environmental impact and making more eco-friendly purchases!
A few weeks ago I did a poll on Instagram asking if you’d all like to see more content here on Baked Greens about sustainability, environmentalism, waste reduction, etc; essentially, the green living side of Baked Greens, which is very near and dear to my heart. The overwhelming response was YES, so here we are.
Today I’m sharing some of my easiest tips for reducing waste, because reduce is the first and most effective step of the reduce-reuse-recycle system, and one often overlooked when people first try to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. If you use less in the first place, there’s no need to reuse or recycle anything!
Below you’ll find some of the things I do on a daily basis that have made a huge difference in how much waste I create; they’re all very small, doable things that you could incorporate into your routine today that can make a big impact in your environmental footprint this year. I hope you love them!
pssst: links below are affiliate links. this means I earn a commission for purchases made through those links, but with no added cost to you. I only recommend products I use + love. Thanks for helping support Baked Greens!
Ditch To-Go Cups
Here’s my rule: if you don’t have a mug, don’t get a drink. Yup, it’s that simple. So, if I’m going to be out and about, I always throw a mason jar or travel mug in my bag to get a coffee, matcha, frozen yogurt, and even to take leftovers home in. This includes the little tiny sample cups at grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes- I bring my travel mug in and just pump a sample-sized amount into my container. If an employee gives me the are-you-seriusly-filling-up-your-entire-mug-right-now look, I’m sure to tell them “don’t worry, I’m just taking one pump! I’m trying to cut down on the trash I create so I don’t use single-use cups!”. This is my preferred size mason jar for drinking/storing leftovers in, and this is my current favorite travel mug.
Refuse Plastic Grocery Bags
This one seems so simple, but every time I stop at a grocery store that still uses plastic bags I see people walking out with carts full of the stuff, so I know not everyone has caught on to the whole plastic-bags-are-killing-the-oceans thing. Here’s the deal: EVERY grocery store I’ve ever been to has paper bags. They might not keep them readily available, they might grumble at you if you ask for your grocery bagged in paper instead of plastic, but THEY’VE GOT ‘EM, and you are very much welcome to use them, so don’t be afraid to ask for your groceries to be bagged in paper. If they try to put the paper bags inside of plastic bags to make life ‘easier’ for you (this seriously kills me, every time), feel free to let the person bagging your groceries know that you don’t want ANY plastic coming into your house. Paper only. An even better option would to be to bring your own reusable bags with you every time you shop. For us, it’s an easy habit that we’ve built over time, so we don’t even have to think about it: if we’re heading to the grocery store, we make sure we have the shopping list and bags. I know some people who always put them in their trunk, or who keep an extra set in the car just in case, but for us, it was easy enough to just make it part of the shopping routine. These are the grocery bags and these are the produce bags I’m loving right now.
Upgrade Your Plastic Wrap + Storage Bags
This one is more expensive, but certainly worth it (and possibly not more expensive in the long run, if you do the math out on how many times you buy plastic wrap and ziplock baggies each year). We switched over to bee’s wrap for storing things like cut fruit, chunks of cheese, sandwiches, and covering pans and bowls in the fridge and love it! It looks more elegant in your fridge, and always sparks conversation if you take it out in public. For ziplock bags, we love stasher bags. They’re super versatile, too, as they can go in boiling water, the microwave, or even the oven since they’re made from silicone. I just love having them around for bringing snacks and sandwiches on the go, easy fridge storage, and for traveling. This is the bee’s wrap I love and these are the stasher bags. We just have one set of each and it’s been sufficient for the two of us.
Actually Eat all the Groceries You Buy
This one may seem obvious, but Americans waste about a pound of food per person, per day. I’m just going to stop and let that sink in for a second. ONE POUND OF FOOD PER PERSON EVERY SINGLE DAY IS THROWN IN THE LANDFILL. Holy peanut butter, that’s a lot of wasted food. So, here’s what you can do to curb your individual waste; it’s so simple, yet so important. When you go grocery shopping, make a list of the meals you’d like to make/eat that week, write your grocery list based on what you need to make those meals, and then only buy the food you need to make those meals each week. If you find yourself throwing away berries, lettuce, bread, or even leftovers from cooked food each week, you are buying too much food! See if you can cut down on the amount you’re buying and be more realistic about what you’re actually going to eat each week. The food you throw away doesn’t just disappear into the abyss, it goes into our landfills, where it cannot decompose and creates toxic gasses that pollute our environment. If you can, composting is a great alternative for any of your leftover food scraps, but I know that composting isn’t a reality for most people, so it’s usually not one of my first suggestions. Instead, I think getting a hold on how much food you waste is a great first step in reducing the amount of waste your household produces. It also saves you money because any food thrown in the trash is money thrown in the trash. You paid for that food, don’t waste it!
Shop Second Hand
This is another money saver, but also huge for the planet. Instead of purchasing something brand new (like clothes, toys, books, even kitchenware), see if you can find it used first! Not only is this usually a much cheaper option, it means that you’re saving that product from going into the landfill. While I love perusing local thrift shops and second-hand stores, there are also plenty of virtual options for doing so as well. Websites like ThredUp and SWAP are great options if you’re looking for second-hand clothes online. And, while the holiday season may be over, keep second-hand shopping in mind when buying gifts this year. Whether you’re gifting children or adults, you can find lots of like-new, or super cool and worn-in items for just about anyone you’re shopping for second-hand. It might feel like you’re gifting them something less-than at first, but think about it: you’re making the conscious decision to save an item from the landfill, to gift it to someone you love so that it can have a second life in their home. You’re also modeling eco-friendly purchasing to your friends and family, and might just convince them to start making more green purchases in the future!
I hope this list was helpful for those of you looking to reduce your environmental impact this year! Don’t forget: small steps matter, and even choosing ONE thing on this list to try to accomplish in 2019 would make a huge impact!
If you like seeing posts like this on Baked Greens, be sure to leave a comment below letting me know, and I will continue to share more of my tips + tricks for living a more eco-friendly life!
XO,
Chelsea