This post may contain affiliate links. Please see Disclosure and Privacy Policy at bottom of page.
At least most of us today are looking for ways to reduce garbage and save money in our daily lives. Here are ten ways to try to do that. Most of these seem pretty obvious after the fact, but some you may not have heard of.
1. Use Metal or Silicone Drinking Straws
Everyone has heard by now about the plastic problem we’re having. Too much plastic waste. Try r
Remember to get a small cleaning brush to keep the straws clean and healthy for you and your family. If you or your family members are regular straw users, then this tip will definitely save you money in the long run.
2. Reusable Coffee Filters
This idea will definitely save you money if you or the family are coffee or loose tea drinkers. One popular type is a hemp filter that is washable and is mildew and bacteria resistant. There are other kinds of filters
For some coffee drinkers this could save a lot of money, and eliminate loads of trash.
3. Use Travel Mugs or Non-Plastic Drinking Containers
This covers a lot of different drinking containers. Anything you use for taking drinks on the go or for around the house. First off we want it to be as healthy as possible. So avoiding plastic of any kind is beneficial. Stainless steel and glass are the best for health reasons. If you cannot avoid plastic at least make sure it is BPA free and is as safe as possible.
These mugs, bottles, cups, or whatever you use will eliminate plastic water bottles too which will save you money, reduce garbage, and make you a little less toxic. Who could say no to all that!
4. Use Washable Cloth Diapers
For all the parents out there who know how expensive diapers are and what a load(pardon the pun) they are on the landfills. This idea will save tons of money and reduce garbage like you have never known. Seriously though, it will require a lot more washing and dealing with the messes, but that goes with the territory.
If you stick to this you will realize a lot of money is being saved in a short period of time. It may even be healthier for your little ones.
5. Use Cloth Instead of Paper Towels and Napkins
Using towels instead of napkins and paper towels does seem like a no-brainer. I know that I was using a lot of paper towels before I made the switch. This will obviously reduce garbage and save money.
There are cheap multi-packs of towels being sold everywhere online or at brick and mortar spots. I use a combination of sizes like hand towels for most uses and smaller wash cloths for doing the dishes and smaller cleanups.
6. Use a Natural Shampoo Bar Instead of the Bottled Kind
This is an interesting way to reduce garbage, especially the plastic kind. Just google natural shampoo bar and you will see how popular these have become. Well at least we have one heck of a selection out there to choose from, but finding the one for you may take some trial and error.
Everyone has different hair and scalp types from sensitive to oily to dry, etc… So as always do your homework to find the one that’s best for you. These should be basically non-toxic when compared to the bottled shampoos we have all been using for years…decades!
7. Use a Water Filtration System
Many people buy bottled water all the time because they do not trust their tap water in their community. Using a filtration system at home can save you a lot of money and reduce garbage that is one of the worst kinds, plastic.
This does not have to be expensive. The cheap end is a pitcher system like PUR. Then there is the kind that attached to your faucet, and the most costly but most effective is a reverse osmosis system that is installed into the plumbing system. The RO system can be installed to give you pure water for all you taps in the house, or you can put it under the kitchen sink just for the kitchen tap.
Filtering your water is one sure way to eliminate more potential toxins from our daily lives. It will also save you money if you buying bottled water. Just use one of the containers discussed above in number 3.
8. Use Reusable Containers Instead of Disposable Bags
This is also very popular today for kids lunches and people taking their food to work or on the go. There are a slew of styles, sizes, and materials to choose from. Again look for BPA free plastic since many of these containers will be some form of plastic. There are also silicone containers which would eliminate the plastic concerns.
There are also things like a silicone sandwich bag. Not really a bag but a soft container that comes in different sizes and shapes. A very good idea to reduce garbage and save money since families with children use an awful lot of plastic bags just for school lunches.
9. Reusable Beeswax Wraps
This is an innovative idea that uses beeswax coated cloth as a replacement for plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Beeswax has natural antibacterial properties helpful for food uses. These types of wraps are sold at Amazon and many other places.
These wraps are washable and reusable for a year or more depending on how much they are used. There are also many recipes online to make your own. Some people enhance the product by adding things like jojoba oil to help boost the antibacterial properties of the wraps.
These wraps are not to be used in the microwave or anywhere there will be heat. Obviously since they are made of beeswax and some type of cloth material. Using these wraps will reduce garbage and save money by eliminating most of the plastic wrap and aluminum foil use.
10. Use Produce Saving Bags or Containers
This is a great way to prolong the life of your fruits and vegetables. There are containers and bags that you can buy that will prolong the life of your produce. These can extend the life of fresh produce two or three times the normal amount of time it takes for it to go bad. This will prevent a lot of food waste and save money.
To reduce the garbage waste it makes sense to use the containers instead of the bags. The bags can be washed and reused but at some point you will want to replace them. The containers can be washed and reused which makes the most sense, and saves you lots of cents.
One of the most popular brands of containers is of course Rubbermaid. These are sold at most places including Amazon. Another great brand is OXO. There are a few more which seem to have products that do what they are intended to do, according to many reviews. Searching Amazon or Google for “produce saving containers” is all you need to do.
These are just ten ways to reduce garbage and save money at the same time. Try to do some research of these and you will see how it can help your daily life and