Environment: Manage your waste well, save money

The fact that we always have rubbish to dispose of is not news but what gets peculiar is when some homes accumulate garbage all the time.
This does not only make you dig deeper into your pocket but also ruins the environment. Kenneth Muhira, explains how to deal with garbage, food scraps, and recyclables.

Use cloth bags instead of plastic
This small measure will greatly reduce the amount of waste you bring into your house. No matter where you are shopping, you can bring your own reusable cloth bags instead of accepting plastic bags from the store.
Plan ahead by buying several reusable bags and storing them where you will not forget to bring them along next time you go shopping, like in your kitchen or in the trunk of your car.
If you forget to bring your cloth bags to the store, you can still reduce waste. Ask the person bagging your groceries not to use double bags. Most stores now sell cloth bags, so you could spring those, instead of accepting plastic or paper you can never have enough of around the house.

Use home containers
If you tend to buy food that comes in boxes wrapped in plastic with individually-wrapped serving sizes inside, you are probably producing more waste than you want to. Look for ways to buy food with minimal packaging, especially plastic packaging, and you will see your daily mound of garbage turn into a tiny hill.
You can buy rice, beans, cereals, teas, spices, and other dry foods in the bulk food section of your grocery store. Store the foods in airtight glass or plastic containers when you get home.

Use containers
In case you are buying milk from a dairy farm, carry your own containers say a jug instead of it getting packed for you in a polythene bag.

Reduce your paper usage.
If you use computers, there are reasons you still need to have a lot of paper waste in your house. Taking measures to reduce the amount of paper you buy, as well as the amount of paper that gets sent to you in the mail, can save you the headache of having to sort through piles of paper.
Go paperless when it comes to bills and choose to pay them online instead, Consider reading your news online instead of having a newspaper delivered to your house.

Dispose of trash and hazardous waste properly.
There are some household items that just can’t be recycled or reused. Throw them out with trash or at a hazardous waste facility. Also, try to reduce your consumption of the following items, and when you use them, dispose them off responsibly.
Batteries, paint, television sets, computers, bulbs and other electronic items.

Use Durable containers

There are containers that can be reused a number of times before they need to go out with the garbage or recycling. Bottles, boxes and bags can all serve a second purpose if you know how to use them. Use paper bags to hold recyclables, if you do not have a bin.
Reuse paper by printing on both sides, or letting your children draw on the back of used paper.
Plastic containers are fine to use for storage, but be careful about reusing them too many times to store food. Plastic, even if it is food grade plastic, can eventually break down and start leaching chemicals into the food.

Avoid bottled drinks
In some places bottled water is safer to drink than tap water, but if that is not the case in your area, boil and drink tap water instead. You can always filter the water if you do not like the way it tastes. This is more economical and much better for the environment.

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