Now that the green living trend has taken off and more people seem to be involved in changing their live styles, the whole idea of being green is becoming less alien and more of a daily thing. So I was thinking about ways we can implement in the day-to-day life to make things just a bit easier on Mother Earth. And one thing struck me like a sore: packaging. Everything everywhere comes in excessive packaging and when one stops to think what it costs to produce such packages (in terms of water and energy) just so they can end up in garbage bins, the question “why do we need all this stuff?” is becoming more apparent. However, until something changes in the industry, what is it that we can do to minimize the effects of this unnecessary packaging on the environment?
Here are a few tips you can use in your daily life to reduce your waste:
- Look for packaging made of recycled materials, if possible. The higher the content of a recycled material in se the better.
- Check the plastic code before buying a product to make sure the container or wrapper is recyclable.
- Reduce the use of single-serve items, such as food and beverages. Instead buy them in bulk and transfer to reusable containers.
- Buy household items and cleaning products in a concentrated form, that way you’ll get more of the product in the same package.
- Stay clear from items packed in excessive casing, for instance an item wrapped in plastic and inside a box.
- Limit your take-out. If you reduce your take outs just one dinner and one lunch a week, it will have an enormous effect in terms of saved waste. Besides, it will most likely save you some money as well.
- If you go to a restaurant, take your own reusable containers if you’re planning on taking leftovers. The foam containers the restaurants usually offer are not recyclable.
