How to Reduce Household Waste

Earth-Friendly Families Can Easily Lessen Their Carbon Footprint

Nov 11, 2009

American households generate large amounts of trash. What simple things can a family do to lessen its collective carbon footprint? Read on.

An average household in the United States will dispose of four pounds of trash per person per day, according to Planetpals. That means a family of four will produce approximately sixteen pounds of trash a day and 112 pounds a week. It doesn't take much effort to realize how quickly that amount adds up. And that's just one family.

So what can the average family do to reduce its waste without cramping its lifestyle? Here are a few ideas that don't take much effort or even money but will help a family begin reducing its carbon footprint.

Buy Produce and Salads Packaged in PLA

PLA (which stands for polylactic acid) is a corn-based plastic product. It looks and feels just like conventional petroleum-based plastic, but it is better for the environment. It comes from a renewable resource (corn) and biodegrades, unlike regular plastic. More and more companies are using this plastic, and it's often used in the produce section (look, for example, at loose-leaf lettuces). The packages will usually indicate that they are made of corn; a consumer need only read the labels. Corn-based packaging is often referred to as "bioplastic."

Buy and Use Reusable Produce Bags

Most people are familiar with reusable cloth shopping bags, but how many people buy and use reuasable produce bags? A lot of times consumers will notice, unpacking the groceries at home, just how much waste is generated by their shopping bags, but they sometimes don't notice the waste their produce bags create. It may be because the bags are used until the produce is finished, which could be a few days or a week later.

But if people noticed just how many produce bags they threw away, they might be tempted to try reusable bags. 3B Bags makes reusable produce bags. The bags are see-through - like traditional plastic produce bags - but they are also "breathable." They are also hand or machine washable. Consumers who already use cloth shopping bags can just add these smaller ones to the bunch when they go to the supermarket.

It's something everyone has heard over and over, but it makes sense. If a family uses a particular item a lot, why not buy the larger size? It means less packaging, which means less waste, but more product and usually less cost for the amount. Of course, if a family isn't going to use all of the product before it goes bad, then it would be foolish to buy a larger size. But why not buy the larger size of laundry soap? It won't go bad. Why not purchase the larger package of tissue? It will get used eventually. But imagine less packaging!

Families Can Make a Difference

A lot of families recycle. Some compost. There are so many things people can do, one family at a time, and sometimes the simplest, easiest solutions are the best. When a person realizes that she creates four pounds of trash a day, it's not hard to see that every little change can make a big difference.

The copyright of the article How to Reduce Household Waste in Reducing Waste is owned by Cynthia Jones-Shoeman. Permission to republish How to Reduce Household Waste in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.