Are you always on the lookout for tips and tricks to reduce your ecological impact?
It can be done without too much effort. You just need to have a few strategies in mind. And applying them, of course.
Here are a few tips to help you reduce your waste without too much effort!
1. Limit packaging
When shopping, opt for products sold in bulk. Even if you don't have access to a zero-waste store that sells bulk foods, you can apply this tip in a traditional grocery store. You can buy whole fruits and vegetables that are not packaged, prefer cookies in bulk or in a box rather than individually wrapped, and buy a brick of cheese rather than individual cheese sticks. In addition to reducing your waste, these choices will save you money!
At home, all you have to do is use a reusable container or bag to carry your food in your lunchbox.
2. Cook
Prepared meals from grocery stores or restaurants generate a lot of waste. The same goes for ready-to-go snacks. By cooking your own meals and snacks, you avoid this packaging. You can also freeze individual portions for those busy mornings or evenings when you don't have time to cook.
3. Refuse
Printed advertising generates a lot of waste. In addition, they often end up in the recycling bin without even being read. At home, put a sticker on your mailbox to indicate that you no longer wish to receive them.
Also, when you're out and about, refuse samples and promotional material on offer: bottles of body care products in hotels, free items given away at events, advertisements offered at trade fairs...
4. Reuse
Before throwing an object in the garbage can or recycling bin, ask yourself if it could have been used for something else. A cardboard box from a delivery can be used as a storage bin, a piece of clothing with a stain or hole in it can become a rag, and a jam jar can become a jar for buying bulk products.
Also, identify the single-use items you consume and opt for a reusable version: coffee mugs, water bottles, razors, feminine hygiene products.
5. Focus on quality
When buying an item, compare products on their durability and check whether they can be repaired. Even if the product is more expensive than another model, if it can be repaired, it will be less expensive in the long run, because you won't have to throw it away and buy another one.
Also, by buying a quality product, you can give it away, lend it or even sell it when you no longer need it.
6. Consume what you need
To apply this tip correctly, it's important to distinguish between desire and necessity. The first is the desire to obtain something, while the second is a need. For example, I need to buy shoes to walk in, and I want to buy several pairs to match my clothes.
In the kitchen, the first step is to use the ingredients you already have at home before going to the grocery store. Then, buy the quantities you need instead of larger sizes to "save". After all, if food is thrown away because there was too much of it, the monetary savings are gone.
7. Thinking about community
The people around us are going through similar stages of life and have similar needs. Think about borrowing or swapping with family members, friends or even your community when you need to buy something, especially if it's for a short period of time: baby clothes or toys, a tool...
Also, think of the people around you when you have an item you no longer need. Use local classified ads like Partage Club or sites like Marketplace or Kijiji to donate or sell it.
Finally, as a last resort, if you have to throw something away, use Recyc-Québec's Ça va où app to find out how to dispose of your waste in an environmentally friendly way.
Ecologically yours,
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