It’s amazing how much we throw away in our kitchen bins these days. From food matter to packaging and everything in between, it all seems to and up in the bin. But, there are several ways you can reduce your kitchen waste and cutback on what makes its way to a landfill.
Recycle
This is perhaps the most obvious way to reduce waste, and you can recycle a large percentage of what usually goes in the bin. Any packaging that food comes in can generally be recycled, as can bottles or cans, and jars.
You may need to separate paper, plastic, glass and other materials, but to make your life easy you can even have a bin dedicated to each. You’ll soon find that the rubbish that you throw out each week has been greatly reduced.
Start a Compost Bin
All that food matter you have previously binned is perfect for making compost. From vegetable and fruit peels to tops and tails of beans and carrots, and even eggshells can all be chucked into a compost bin.
You can even add tea bags, coffee grounds from those endless cups you’ve drunk while enjoying pokies online and other items that are wholly biodegradable and can add extra nutrients to your mixture.
Use Cloths Not Paper
It’s amazing how much paper towel you can go through in a kitchen. This can greatly increase the amount of waste you have, and really, there is no good reason for this.
Cloths of all kinds can replace paper, and whether you prefer to cut up old towels or buy dishcloths, or opt for fancy linen napkins, the choice is yours, just bin those paper towels for good!
Ditch the Wrapping
Tinfoil. Clingwrap. Ziploc bags. Get rid of them all and invest in durable Tupperware that you can store your food in.
There is no bigger waste than constantly using plastic to cover up food when plastic container that could last several years could do the same thing. Just be aware that when you do buy containers they are more than single use, as otherwise you’ll defeat the point!
Buy in bulk
Instead of buying items that you use on a regular basis one at a time, buy in bulk. Anything that is non-perishable can be stored in your kitchen, and you’ll find that when you buy in bulk, packaging is reduced.
If you can, opt for larger containers of condiments and other items so they last longer and you don’t have to throw away- or recycle!- packaging endlessly.
Take Your Own Bags
We see plastic bags everywhere, but there are some really good-looking, trendy shoppers that are made out of material that you can use instead. Some reusable bags are even made out of recycled plastic that has already been repurposed and designed to last.
Always take your own bag when you go shopping rather than ending up with tons of single use plastic bags that simply get chucked in the bin.