This Recycling Week (21-27 September 2020), we are looking to Lisa Bronner for tips for Tossing Less. On her blog, Lisa points out that “everything we buy is trash and everything we purchase gets thrown away eventually. Even family heirlooms. Even expensive furniture. Even the houses we live in”. Changing our attitudes to our buying habits, will help us with recycling in the long run, so be sure to purchase mindfully before buying anything.
For Lisa’s full post with all 11 tips go to her post here, but see some of our favourites here:
Recycle Tech
“When it comes to dead old technology, many pieces contain reusable parts and materials. Look for E-recycling events usually hosted by non profits and schools. Then it will get to organisations that know how to make something new and useful with it.”
Host a swap
“Did you know that September is also #SecondhandSeptember? Why not host a swap? Clothing swaps, accessory swaps, book swaps, decor swaps, toy swaps, game & puzzle swaps, kitchen gadget swaps, craft supply swaps… I could go on. One person’s trash is another’s treasure and all that. So gather your friends, some snacks and drinks, and have everyone bring something from the theme that they no longer use but is in good shape. You’ll swap stuff and stories and leave with something “new” to you!”
Buy Used
“Keep things in circulation. Not only is this friendly on the wallet, but it keeps stuff out of landfills. Thrift stores or online resale sites are great places to find something used that you would never purchase new, like a high-end stroller or a designer coat. After a few of the plates and dishes from our everyday dishes had been broken, I found used replacement pieces online.”
Buy Less
“Logic dictates that if everything we buy is eventually trashed, buying less means trashing less. Consider if you really need that item. Will it bring lasting joy and utility, or is it just cheap? Or is it just there? We are all prone to impulse buying – and don’t retailers know it! To defend against that, don’t shop when you’re tired, hungry, or distracted. Go in with a list, and with just enough cash to cover that list. (I heard that collective “gasp” at the mention of cash. Try it. Your budget and your planet will thank you.)”
Cut Food Waste
“Planning your meals ahead of shopping, and then buying only what you need. Use a surplus of veggies in catchall dishes like stir fries, salads, pasta sauce, and pizza toppings (almost anything can go on a pizza!). Toss fruit into smoothies or frozen yogurts. Freeze for later use: bananas for smoothies or breads; sliced apples for pies or apple sauce; pureed tomatoes for sauces; blanched green veggies for soups or steaming; stale bread for croutons or breadcrumbs. And don’t discount those onion skins and carrot tops! Collect and freeze veggie scraps to make broth. Fruit peels, cores and citrus rinds make simmering stovetop potpourri. Compost the rest to start the food cycle over again.”
Give and Decorate with Consumables
Don’t clutter up your loved ones’ homes either. Give gifts that can be used up – tickets, flowers, lunch dates, freezer food. Your friends and family who are too busy to cook will love it if you fill up their freezer with homemade food. For short-term decorating, go with natural resources – take a nature walk and pick flowers, gather richly coloured fall leaves or scented pine boughs. Dried peas, corn, beans and lentils layered in a glass bowl make a beautiful table decoration.
Dr. Bronner’s is a family business committed to honouring the vision of our founder Dr. E.H. Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating our profits to helping make a better world. “All-One!”