Bigfoot's Friend

If you’ve walked outside anytime recently, you know that plastic – garbage to be more specific, is absolutely everywhere.

Most products in the stores are packaged in some level of plastic; food, toys, health products, beauty products, clothes, shoes – I mean, really, everything.

In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did a study around 2018 where they found that the average American throws away 4.9 pounds of trash every day! That means each person goes through an astonishing almost 1,800 pounds of trash every year!

While there’s only so much we can do about how companies choose to manufacture and package their products, we do have the power to “vote with our feet” and decide what to spend our hard earned money on.

Today we’re going to talk about small changes you can make in your daily life and purchasing to reduce your environmental footprint and the garbage that your household produces – and save you money at the same time!

The Plastic Problem

I read a quote the other day that said: “Everything you have ever bought is still on Earth today.”

That really struck me and it got me thinking about two main points.

1. The Volume of Waste

How many different plastic hairbrushes have I owned throughout my life? I thought about all of my past and current beauty products, nick-knacks, smartphones and ipods, toothbrushes, water bottles, plastic cups, takeout meals – the list goes on! That’s a lot of waste for one person!

2. Cherishing High Quality Products

How many of you still have a mirror, comb, tool, or some other useful heirloom that has been passed down by your grandparents or great-grandparents? Do you have anything that you’ve taken care of and kept around for years? Why doesn’t our culture cherish our belongings anymore?

Overproduction and the Resulting Refuse

If I created that much garbage by myself in my short time on Earth, what does it look like when 8 billion other people have been doing the same thing for just as long, and longer than I have?

Today we live in a culture that doesn’t generally cherish and care for our things the same way that our grandparents used to, when material items were much harder to come by.

Everything these days can be replaced for cheap, which makes it almost less convenient to repair and maintain what we already own, leading to factory-fueled excess and widespread throwaway culture

Purchasing Options To Reduce Your Garbage Volume

The good news is, there are a few small changes you can make in your every day life that will make a significant impact in the long term.

Making different choices in your daily purchasing and lifestyle will help reduce the garbage that you are paying for, the garbage your household produces, and save you money!

Here are some of the best things you can buy to help reduce waste, and costs in your home.

_{As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through the links provided on this page at no additional cost to you!}

Kitchen

• Reusable straws
• Reusable resealable bags
• Washable to-go coffee cups
• Reusable water bottles
• Glass Tupperware
• Beeswax food wrap

Self Care

• Bamboo toothbrush
• Bamboo hairbrush
• Bar shampoo and conditioner

Home

• Reusable shopping bags
• Recycling bins
• Wool dryer balls
• Homemade cleaners

Buying Better and Cherishing Your Belongings

Something that can be difficult (especially in our current financial climate) is buying better quality things, so that you don’t have to re-buy a product.

This could mean anything from buying the Kitchen-Aid mixer instead of the off-brand standing mixer, or even buying a stronger quality of resealable bag so that it can be washed and reused instead of ripping or tearing on the first use.

Remember that price points and name brands don’t necessarily determine the quality of the product. Do research on the product in question, read the customer reviews, and make informed decisions when you’re spending your hard earned money.

When we purchase cheap, low quality products we think that we are saving ourselves money, but it’s not a sustainable habit and it won’t help you in the long run.

Would you rather spend $40 for something that will last for years, or spend $20 every other year to replace the cheap item that will inevitably break?

Invest in yourself and your home. By purchasing better tools for home, you’ll save yourself from having to waste and re-buy the things you can’t live without.

Making A Change

I call that our generation needs to make a change in our daily habits and our ways of living. We need to be more mindful of our spending and the companies and products that we are supporting. We need to learn and teach our children to cherish our belongings, and that just because you can replace it doesn’t mean that you should.

Choosing the more inconvenient route to fix the broken machine instead of throwing it away and buying a new one, and choosing to spend your money on products and at companies that support waste reduction are ways that you and your family can make a significant impact on your community and the world around you.

I hope you can take something from this information and reduce the waste in your home and the money you spend on garbage. By working together we can all make a difference for a better today, and a cleaner tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

-Jessica C.