
Knowing how to reduce waste in the home is essential to have a clean and safe home. Here are some simple steps you can take to reduce household waste.
Use reusable bags when shopping
A good way to reduce waste is to prevent it in the first place. One type of waste that you will always have to deal with is the bags that you get when shopping. A single shopping trip can take you between 3 and 5 plastic bags, which would add to the many you already have. Rather than keep piling up plastic bags, you can take your own with you when you go shopping. This bag can be used as many times as you want. Think about the amount of waste you could save by shopping with reusable bags.
Buy products with less packaging
Some products come with more packaging than you can handle. First, you have to deal with the cardboard box, then the bubble wrap, and then the plastic wrap for the product. If the product comes in small and small pieces, then each piece will also be wrapped in plastic. Most snacks can come with nylon wrap. Whatever reason or advantage exists to justify the large amount of packaging used, you will still have to deal with waste. So stick with products that come with as little packaging as possible.
Buy items in bulk
Buying items in pieces could create more waste than you can handle. This is why you should take the time to buy the things you need in bulk. Instead of making frequent trips to the mall, you can go once a month. Not only would this leave you with less waste, it would also save you time and energy.
Have a garage sale
As we said at the beginning, waste does not mean that the product is doomed or useless, but that you no longer need it. Some of the things that may not be helpful to you may be helpful to someone else. You can have a garage sale where you sell such items, which could be valuable to someone else. Such things include furniture, appliances, kitchen utensils, clothing, etc. Remember, the purpose of a yard sale is to discard products, so you need to keep prices low. You can auction them off and have people bid or just let them call the price.
Think recycling
Paper, glass, plastic, and other materials can be recycled into new products. Sometimes people leave waste at home because they don't know how to dispose of it the right way. You can take them to plants and other places for recycling where they would become new products, plus you know they won't pollute the environment. This is a better option than getting rid of them indiscriminately.
Reuse items
If you look around correctly, some of the debris around you can be used for something else. For example, the cardboard box that comes with a product can be used to hold books, stationery, or anything else. Old bottles can be used as vases or bird feeders or to store something else.
Waste management in Nigeria
The need to reduce waste at home is more important in Nigerian households. In general, there are poor waste management practices in Nigeria. Common waste disposal methods practiced in Nigeria include waste burial, open burning, and open dumping, which are not good and even endanger public health and the environment.
Benefits of reducing waste at home
Here are some of the benefits of reducing household waste:
The surroundings are cleaner and more hygienic.
Minimize the effect of hazardous or nuisance waste in the home.
Avoid environmental pollution.
Reduce waste disposal costs
Save money on reusing items
Improvement of home ventilation.