10 tips for avoiding waste in everyday life
17.09.2019 - Do you often find yourself at a loss at home or at work in front of a rubbish bin that has filled up far too quickly? Many of us do. And it's frustrating. After all, we have little control over how thoroughly and sustainably our waste is processed once we have disposed of it. One of the best ways to really effectively reduce our ecological footprint is therefore to avoid waste. Here are ten simple tricks for you at a glance. Try them out - and be amazed at the quick effect!
1. Does not go in the bag
Always take one or more carrier bags with you to the supermarket. You can sort your groceries while you are picking them out so that nothing breaks or suffers: Potatoes, for example, which still have soil on them, go into their own bag separately or with other natural vegetables, which you can simply shake out later. Sharp-edged tinned food should also be put in a separate bag. Otherwise the rule is: heavy at the bottom, light at the top. Then nothing really gets crushed - and you can do without supermarket products with superfluous protective packaging. Wherever you see fruit, vegetables, salami and co. on the shelf without plastic packaging, the choice should now be easy for you. In this way, you can save a lot more waste in one step than "just" the disposable bag at the checkout.
2. Water march
Drinking a lot is healthy! But, deposit or not: plastic is plastic, and glass bottle production and its reusable logistics also cost CO2. So buy a sturdy, lightweight water bottle for your desk and when you're out and about, which you can then refill with tap water. In Germany, water from the tap can be drunk everywhere without any risk and is sometimes even of higher quality than bottled mineral water.
3. Your waste bin can do it on its own
The most unnecessary waste is that which you produce only to throw it away immediately: the bin liner. So-called compostable bags are also problematic because they decompose much more slowly than other compost and are often incinerated in the end. You can put organic waste in a washable waste bin (as small as possible so that not too much organic matter accumulates and rots before it is emptied). As soon as you have separated the organic waste - i.e. coffee filters, salad leaves and the like - into the organic waste bin, there is hardly any damp, muddy or liquid matter left in the residual waste. It can therefore also go into the bin without a bag, which you can then simply empty directly into the appropriate collection container.
4. A little bit cleaner
Instead of your current shower gel, try a mild bar soap (without palm oil and animal additives). Your skin will quickly get used to it, become just as clean and won't dry out any more than with your previous product. Incidentally, you are not only saving on packaging, but often also on 'invisible' waste: many shower and bath products contain tiny microplastic beads to make them feel particularly silky and smooth. Filtering this plastic out of the oceans is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Better not flush any more of it down the drain!
5. Topless
Whenever you have a date out and order a cocktail, long drink or milkshake: Ask for it to be served without a straw. Unfortunately, straws are never made from straw, but almost always from plastic. A little tip for a cocktail party or children's birthday party at home: use long macaroni instead of plastic straws and umbrellas! It looks good and is guaranteed to get people talking.
6. Suddenly this overview!
Instead of cling film or aluminium foil, use glass Tupperware or empty jars for food that you keep in the fridge after opening! The pleasant side effect: you have a better overview of the contents of your fridge and have to throw away less food. If you only want to keep something fresh for a few hours, you can also cover it with a plate.
7. Lunch without regrets
Do you often take sandwiches with you from home or are you a fan of lunchtime snacks from the bakery? Then it's best to buy a small bag made of sturdy material so that you don't have to use foil or the bag provided by the bakery. If necessary, simply throw the bag into the machine wash if any leftover cheese spread or butter has got stuck inside. Sandwiches wrapped in firm fabric can breathe well and usually keep their shape better than in a conventional lunch box. Give it a try!
8. Why in such a hurry?
Have you got used to your morning "coffee to go" over the years? If you plan an extra 10 minutes from now on and turn it into a coffee to go, you will not only save on packaging waste, but also start the day in a more conscious and relaxed way. If you're still in a hurry or want to take freshly brewed coffee from the machine to work in the morning, you don't even have to buy an extra to-go cup (which will eventually become waste again). An empty mason jar works too! The good thing about it is that you can screw it shut so that no leftover coffee ends up in your handbag. If you hold it by the thick base or the screw cap, you won't burn your fingers if the coffee is still hot.
9. Bathroom appraisal
Some everyday items wear out particularly quickly and therefore unfortunately often need to be replaced. These include toothbrushes and wet razors. This makes it all the more important to switch to a plastic-free alternative for these 'disposable products'. Instead of plastic toothbrushes, you can also find models made from bamboo - a rapidly renewable raw material - in well-stocked drugstores or special unpackaged shops. Unpackaged toothpaste tablets are now also available in shops. There are also men's and women's wet razors made of wood and metal, where you only have to replace the blade. And not the entire razor head or even the entire razor, as is the case with other manufacturers.
10. Less really is more
Finally, the golden rule of waste avoidance: Check your consumption! How much individually wrapped cold cuts do you need in the fridge at any one time? How many different cleaning products, how many pairs of jeans, T-shirts and shirts, how many short-lived decorative items on the windowsill, how many creams and cosmetics? Conscious consumption can be very relaxing. You can find everything more quickly, make decisions more easily and save not only waste but also time. And money in the long run.
Cover picture: superkitina on Unsplash
Author: Nadine Kaminski
