What are some everyday things people could be doing to minimize their personal w

1. 61

   Amber Zawrotnyposted 17 months ago

   What are some everyday things people could be doing to minimize their personal waste?

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2. 95

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 17 months ago

   Well, we live in a consumer driven society. Everything seems to be about buying this or buying that. Everyone needs to make a living, and it always involves selling some sort of good or service. To minimize waste you should minimize what you consider yourself to need.
   
   We're all pretty greedy here. Even the poorest among us often feels they need all sorts of things they don't truly need. We don't even use the word 'need' in conversations properly any more.
   
   I'm no virtuous person, but because I live in a very small travel trailer, have no wife or children, and am rather poor - I waste very little. I buy very little, so it isn't surprising that I waste very little as well. Also, I have no room to put anything anywhere.

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3. 96

   lisavollrathposted 17 months ago

   Here are the things I do:
   
   I use my own cloth grocery bags.
   
   I buy whole foods, rather than processed. That means cooking from scratch, rather than eating something pre-made, in a box, in a plastic, microwave tray. Whole foods have less packaging than processed foods, and there's less waste.
   
   I compost my organic waste from the kitchen. Anything cut off vegetables, or anything that goes bad goes to the compost bin. I like to snack on peanuts, so peanut shells go in the bin, too.
   
   I wear my clothes until they're worn, or holey, or stained with paint (occupational hazard). Then I turn them into cleaning cloths, and use them until they fall apart.
   
   I use old t-shirts in my Swiffer, shake them out outside, and then throw them in the wash to reuse, rather than buying disposable refills.
   
   And mostly, I don't buy stuff I don't need.

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4. 77

   fpherj48posted 17 months ago

   Amber.....First, I'd like to welcome you to Hubpages & wish you much fun, learning & success.  I'd also like you to know I love this question!  I am a bona-fide, certified & totally dedicated Frugal-Budget guru-re-cycler-waste-not-want-not-get rid of that junk! Lady of the Boomer generation.
   I could use up all the allotted characters for comment here but I'll do one better.  In the next few days, I will create a Hub based on your question!  That will be a feather in both our caps!.....See what I mean?  I just doubled the value of your question!  I'm unstoppable!!  LOL.....Peace, Paula
   
   (Wesman.....what have I been telling you for years??  You need a cute little southern Belle and 2 or 3 mini Wesmans!!)

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5. 91

   Terrielynn1posted 17 months ago

   Hi, Amber. I also use my own cloth bags. I reuse and renew everything i can. I plant a garden every year. have a cold storage room to keep them longer. I also can and freeze my food whenever I can. I recycle, glass, plastic and compost food cuttings. as a faily of four we only have one trash bag of garbage or less a week. I have a wood stove and water infloor heating to save on fuel. If we outgrow clothing or house items its sold or given away. Its never put in the garbage. I even regrow some of our foods. Went i go to the grocerie store i buy items that are in the least amount of rapping possible. Even brown paper bags get reused here. Some house items get used outside in the garden ,when i no longer want them in the house.

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