7 Ways to REduce Waste

 

Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling are critical to Reducing our carbon footprint.

 

Here is some things I have been trying in an effort to reduce our waste...

 

 1. Use reusable containers when grocery shopping
Add reusable containers to your cloth shopping bag stash for anything you purchase at the meat counter or in bulk. Nesbitt’s Meat Market and Burn’s Bulk Food are happy to do this for you!

 

 

2.Stop using plastic produce bags
Why did we do so well to transition to reusable cloth hopping bags only to drop the ball on produce bags? Stop the produce bag madness! Tips on how to kick the habit here.

3. Re sell , donate, and buy second hand
Take care of things as if you were going to re sell them and even if you end up donating them they still have a better chance of being purchased- lengthening the life of the item. All of the places you donate or consign items to sell second hand goods. I always score shopping second hand! Please see the bottom of this post for all of my favorite local places to donate and purchase things, and the amazing work that your donations fund.

4. Return and reuse produce and egg containers to farmer stands
Stash them in a closet and take them back on your weekly visit, or whenever you remember them. The farmers will appreciate it!

5. Compost
This will drastically reduce the number of bags you put out for curb side collection. Even if you do not use the compost for your garden- with little to no effort the pile just goes down and down. Despite rumours composting properly does not attract wildlife or smell!

6. Make your own cleaning products
Cleaning products and detergents are huge offenders when it comes to packaging waste. When you make your own products you purchase the ingredients in bulk (usually in paper) and you use and old container over and over again to put the recipe into. This is also a big money saver! Check out how to clean with vinegar here.

7. Stop buying disposable products
Paper towels. Napkins. Swiffer dust cloths. Tinfoil. Saran wrap. Paper plates/Plastic utensils. Diapers. Ziplock bags. Party favours. Feminine hygiene products. Wrapping paper. All of these things have reusable options and are such a waste of money. You buy it just to throw it out!

Please consider trying one or a few of these things and help save the world! Small changes make a big difference!



Thanks for reading my blog!
Julia Taylor
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Local Places to Donate

RE sell your gently used Kids clothing and toys to Recycled Kids in Lindsay.

Sell your used appliances to Hometown Appliances or any and all other items on kijiji or local buy and sell groups.

Donate your gently used clothing and household items to The Salvation Army in Fenelon Falls/Lindsay proceeds to social and community service programmes.

Vicki’s Value’s takes clothing and small items; proceeds go directly to Women’s Resources, ensuring that abused women and their children can live lives free of abuse and violence in Kawartha Lakes.

The Humane Society also accepts donations of household items and proceeds go to the shelter to help save animals lives.

Renovation materials and household furniture/fixtures can be donated to the Re Store, proceeds go towards building homes for low income families caught in the cycle of poverty.