When you take ownership of your waste you change your mindset around what, how and why you buy. You become accountable for everything you buy or choose to accept (e.g. freebies) because you need to have a plan for how to dispose of it as well.
This is such an important step because so much of our current ecological crisis is a result of waste pollution.
2,120,000,000 tonnes of waste is dumped on the planet every year! That’s 2.12 billion (fyi 😉) and of course 1 tonne (1,000kgs) is approximately the weight of 1 car, so… ummm… yeah!
Waste pollution contributes to the climate crisis, pollutes our natural environment, kills our wildlife and is detrimental to our own health. We must find ways to curb our current waste production and improve our waste processing. The answer lies with us, through education, understanding and action.
Our current waste management solutions cannot keep up our level of waste production, let alone the last hundred years of landfill ‘banking’ that we’ve already acquired. The problem grows the longer we’re on the planet. It grows because our population grows, and it grows because our rate of waste production is increasing at a devastating rate.
Technology is making great strides in developing more efficient ways of managing waste through improved recycling techniques. We can even turn rubbish into renewable energy now! But effective waste management will always rely on us taking responsibility for our waste and disposing of it correctly. If we send it to landfill, that’s where it stays.
The goal is not to recycle heaps. The goal is to reduce our total waste and dispose of it responsibly.
So how do you take ownership of your waste?
BEFORE YOU BUY, CONSIDER…
THE NEED:
DO I REALLY NEED IT? You’ll be surprised how often the answer is NO. Don’t buy what you don’t need. Don’t accept something just because it’s thrown in with your purchase, or because it’s free.
DOES IT NEED TO BE NEW? Consider other options such as borrowing, renting, or buying second-hand. Reuse disposable items if you can.
CAN I REPAIR OR RESTORE WHAT I HAVE? Repair something to extend its life. You might find you appreciate it even more the second time around.
HOW MUCH DO I NEED? Don’t be a victim of consumer marketing who ends up spending big on stuff you’ll never use, especially when it comes to items that are perishable. Plan for what you need, shop with purpose and don’t buy anything you’re not certain you will use.
DO I STILL HAVE SOME AT HOME? Use what you have before you replace it. Cosmetics, soaps, and cleaners are the worst for this. You buy something and decide you don’t love it, then hold on to a half empty bottle for 10 years.
WILL I USE IT NOW? Food is the obvious one with this and meal prepping is a great solution, however I’ve had issues with buying things as I’m renovating my house. I’ll buy something because it’s part of the plan, but if I don’t execute the task straight away, there’s a good chance I’ll forget that I bought it 🤦♀️
THE PRODUCT:
HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? If it’s disposable, consider a reusable alternative. If it’s not disposable, consider investing a little more money to have something that will not need to be replaced as quickly or as often. A great example of this is a high-quality kitchen knife that you can sharpen over, and over again. It will last you 30 years vs the cheap supermarket knives that go blunt in a few months and end up littering your kitchen draw.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM? It’s not just the packaging you need to consider when it comes to responsible disposal.
HOW WAS IT MADE? Consider what the product has ‘cost’ the planet before it got to you. Plastic for instance is made from fossil fuels and has a huge carbon footprint. Bamboo and Hemp both grow incredibly fast without the need for massive amounts of water, pesticides, or fertilizers and therefore, these materials come at a far lower environmental cost.
WHERE WAS IT MADE? Wherever possible, buy local. It results in a smaller carbon footprint plus it supports your local economy.
THE PACKAGING:
· Choose minimally packaged products or supply your own reusable bags/containers where possible.
· If the product must be packaged, look for packaging made of biodegradable materials.
· Choose products packaged in glass, aluminium, or steel, as 100% of the material is recyclable and it can be recycled repeatedly. Recycled glass has the lowest carbon footprint. Plastic does not as it’s quite resource intensive and can only be recycled a 2-6 times before it loses too much quality.
· As an absolute last option, choose packaging that is at least made from recycled materials.
HOW YOU’LL DISPOSE OF IT:
· Will it rot? Is it biodegradable?
· Can it be restored, refurbished, or can parts of it be reused?
· Can it be repurposed into some other use? It may not work for its original intension but sometimes some creative thinking can create a completely different item.
· Can it be donated or shared with others when you are finished with it? Kids clothes and toys are great examples of this.
· Can it, or parts of it, be recycled?
· If it, or any part of it must go to landfill, do the benefits of the product outweigh the drawbacks? An example of this is Pyrex (heat resistant) glass, used for kitchen baking dishes. It is difficult to recycle as it can withstand extremely high temperatures, but it will last you 20 years.
Put your money where your mouth is! Big business is responsible for how most of our waste is produced and the only way to persuade big business to change something is through your purchasing choices.
Aim to be productive, not perfect. You don’t have to be a ‘zero waster’ to have a positive impact on the world, you just need to BE CONSCIOUS and make a commitment to constant and consistent improvement.
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