“What a Waste”: 5 Steps to Efficient Waste Management
We all know that global warming is a thing… right?
I’m not here to give you a Greta-Thunberg-style rant about climate change or post scary pictures of turtles stuck in plastic bags. I’m here to tell about my small journey to eco-consciousness and share some tips on waste-management.
Back when I was a Film student, I took an Eco-Cinema class — and not because of my love for nature or concern for the planet… they just had a hot prof.
Well, luckily, that class turned out to be more than long boring talks about nature mainly because we got to watch many documentaries.
And one of them was “Trashed” by Jeremy Irons (2012). If you’ve seen it before, you probably can imagine my horror as I saw shots of cows giving radioactive milk and sick stillborn kids being held in yellow jars. Ugh…
Anyway, it was a good watch because it made me rethink my ideas of waste and make some changes in my lifestyle to reduce my ecological footprint.
This is why I compiled 5 simple steps of how you can manage your trash efficiently without harming the planet.
1. Sort
This is probably the easiest step because it simply means that you need to understand what kind of trash you have around your house. And this comes from analyzing your own routine.
- Do you cook a lot or do you prefer ordering in?
- What do you use to clean your house?
- And even, do you use makeup and cosmetics every day?
These questions will help you realize how your daily actions affect the planet and what you can do to change that.
2. Reuse, repurpose or donate
I love this step because here I can think creatively about how I can repurpose my waste.
Have some plastic cups left from your yogurt? Why not use it as a pot for your plants or make some Christmas crafts with your kids?
Your milk got spoiled after forgot to put it back in the fridge? You can still use it to make a cake or crepes. Yes, you can use spoilt milk products — that was something my mom taught me, having lived through the hard Soviet times when food shortages were normal.
And if you have things that are still in good shape but you’re just too old to wear that oversized Pink Floyd T-shirt (yep, that was me), then donate it! There are so many local charities and thrift shops that would be happy to give them to those in need.
3. Recycle
I wouldn’t be discovering America if I said that you should recycle your trash. I know what you think — “But it’s so confusing”, “I have no time for that!”.
Well, who said that saving the Earth will be easy?
Besides, the key to incorporating recycling in your daily life is as easy as starting a new routine — it’s all about small actions and repetition.
And the Internet is always here to help — there are billions of videos and articles that touch on recycling. Just make sure that you filter the guidelines to your place of residence because different countries have different rules and available resources.
I can share a nice app that helps me understand what to do with my trash — it’s applicable for the Toronto and GTA area.
4. Dispose the rest
Now that you’ve sorted your waste, you can trash the remaining garbage. Make sure that you still follow the waste disposal guidelines. For instance, some types of broken glass which are considered garbage should be put in a thick plastic or paper bag to avoid any hazard.
5. Change your mindset
The best way to produce less waste is to use less stuff that can eventually become waste. This comes from changing your lifestyle choices and routines.
Instead of ordering food that comes in non-recyclable packages, try cooking yourself.
If you’re planning to go grocery shopping, bring your own bag instead of getting one in the store — they cost money in some countries too, so that’s a double motivation.
One of my easiest changes was swapping disposable makeup pads with reusable cotton ones. I simply wash them once a week with all my clothes and they’re good to go.
Being environmentally-friendly today became a sort of a mainstream trend that was picked up by hipsters. Maybe that’s a good thing because the issue is being circulated to the masses and many brands are making a choice towards sustainability.
But we should be aware that the problem of global warming lies beyond pretty thermoses and branded tote bags. It’s about choosing not to go after the consumerist culture and rebuilding your own mindset from the ground up.
