With the average Canadian generating a whopping 2.7 kilograms of garbage every day, our mountains of waste are growing so large that finding a place to store it all is becoming increasingly expensive. The impact of waste on the environment is increasing at a time our planet does not need any additional problems.
Luckily, if you want to live more sustainably, there are many ways we can reduce our waste. This article will detail six different options. If you’re looking for waste reduction techniques specifically geared towards construction check out our Green Building Guide to Reducing Waste.
1. Recycle
Recycling plays a crucial role in managing waste as it reduces the amount of garbage sent to landfills, saves natural resources, creates jobs and helps reduce greenhouse gases.
Recycling plants sort through different kinds of recyclable materials which are then sold to manufacturers who use them to create new products. Paper, cardboard, plastics, glass and metal are the most commonly recycled materials. You can also recycle electronics through certified programs that ensure responsible disposal, preventing harmful materials from entering landfills.
The amount of material that is saved by recycling is enormous. To give you an idea, by recycling one ton of paper, we can save 17 trees, 1400 litres of oil, 80 cubic feet of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy and 26,000 litres of water.
Unfortunately, the effectiveness of recycling is not 100 percent. Some materials like aluminum can have a very high recycling rate, as high as 75 percent – they are valuable so they are more likely to be recovered. Other materials like plastic can have a really low recycling rate, with only about 10 percent getting recycled.
Recycling rates can vary due to contamination of recyclable materials, lack of infrastructure in some areas, fluctuating market demand for recycled materials, and the complexity of recycling certain materials can hinder its full potential.
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Given that recycling is less than ideal at recovering all materials that are sent for recycling, it should not be the one and only option we should be considering when it comes to dealing with our waste.
2. Upcycling
Upcycling is the process of transforming waste materials or unwanted products into new items of higher value, quality, or usefulness.
Unlike traditional recycling, which breaks down materials into raw materials for manufacturing new products, upcycling involves creatively repurposing existing materials to give them a new purpose or aesthetic appeal.
Upcycling not only reduces waste but also promotes resourcefulness, creativity, and sustainability. If you’re wondering what exactly you could upcycle, here are a few ideas:
- Turning old wooden pallets into coffee tables, shelves, or outdoor furniture.
- Transforming discarded chairs into plant stands or swing seats.
- Upcycling worn-out jeans into denim shorts, skirts, or bags.
- Repurposing vintage fabrics or old T-shirts into quilts, scarves, or tote bags.
- Repurposing tin cans into pencil holders, planters, or lanterns.
- Upcycling old window frames into decorative mirrors or picture frames.
- Using scrap wood or metal to create sculptures, wall art, or functional art pieces.
- Repurposing old tires as planters, garden beds, or swings.
- Transforming discarded pallets into vertical gardens, compost bins, or outdoor seating.
Remember, those are just ideas. Let your imagination run wild. If you can’t think of a practical use for something, you can always make art out of it!
3. Reuse
Reusing is another popular option for reducing waste. It lowers greenhouse gas emissions, saves natural resources, creates jobs and keeps old things out of landfills. If an item cannot be recycled, then giving an item new life is a great alternative.
Reusing can be done by repairing items, selling them second-hand, donating old items to charities or shelters or keeping them for a new purpose. You could reuse some of your food containers as storage containers for things like crayons, paperclips, spools of thread, etc.
4. Compost
Composting is one of the best options to get rid of waste as it transforms garbage into something valuable. Often referred to as “black gold,” composting turns organic materials like food scraps, yard trimmings, manure, and paper into nutrient-rich soil that can be used in gardens and farms.
Composting can be done either in your backyard or by creating a community compost project (Find out how to do that in this guide by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance).
You can easily create your own backyard compost heap just by dumping your organic matter together in a pile. You don’t even need a bin, but if you want one, you could easily DIY one out of pallets or wood. See the video below to walk you through this easy process. To learn how to compost check out this guide from the Old Farmer’s Almanac on How to Compost.
5. Reusing Wastewater
With the average Canadian household pouring 223 liters (59 gallons) of water per person per day down the drain, there’s a lot of potential savings here.
Reusing wastewater is an alternative to letting all our water enter the sewer system. By reusing wastewater from household appliances like dehumidifiers and catching water before it drains down our sinks, we can reduce some of our water usage as we can use the recovered water to water our gardens and plants.
If you want to take this a step further you could install a greywater recycling system to capture and treat wastewater from all your sinks, showers, and washing machines to reuse in non-potable applications like toilet flushing, irrigation, or laundry.
6. Reduce
Reducing waste is the single best way to avoid the hassle of junk removal because it limits the amount of potential waste in the first place.
Reducing can be done by choosing reusable products instead of disposable ones (e.g. using plates and silverware instead of paper plates and plastic cutlery) opting for durable and reusable alternatives, avoiding overpackaging, and by simply consuming less.
Everything you buy will eventually become waste so if you never buy it there’s that much less waste to litter the planet.
Read more on this topic in Green Building Guide to Construction & Demolition Waste Recycling
Feature image: Sigmund; Image 1: Shirley Hirst
