Cutting down on waste

Inspired by Stephanie's post on cutting down on waste, I've been contemplating areas where we've cut down on waste in our home. As I thought about these things, I realized how often frugality can go hand-in-hand with being environmentally-friendly.

Here are a few of the ways we've cut down on waste in our home:

1) Utilizing PaperBackSwap and the library instead of buying books new. Also, unless I find a book to be exceptional book, I usually pass it on once I'm finished with it so that someone else might enjoy it and our home can stay pared down from unnecessary clutter.

2) Buying clothes at second-hand stores at least 50% of the time or more. We also readily accept offers of hand-me-downs from others.

3) Cooking and baking from scratch as much as possible. This is not only healthier for us, but it eliminates much of the extra packaging which comes along with eating a lot of boxed and processed foods.

4) Thinking before I throw something out, "Is there another way I can use this?"

5) Reusing foil and plastic bags until there is no life left in them. In addition, we use Tupperware or pans/containers with lids instead of disposable containers whenever we can and, by doing so, I've found that I can get by with only buying a small roll of aluminum foil and a box of plastic bags every six months or so.

6) Eliminating paper towels and using cloth rags/towels instead.

7) Keeping it simple: Staying home more, not having an excess of clothing or household items, drinking water most of the time, and trying to only buy what we need.

8) Only requesting free samples for items we'll use.

9) Using baking soda and Basic H for almost all of our household cleaning.

10) Using less--less shampoo, less laundry detergent, less electricity, and so on. You can cut back in many areas without even ever noticing it and conserving in simple ways throughout each day can add up to big savings in the long run.

How are you reducing waste and being frugal at the same time? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Originally published March 2008.

Comments

[Caroline]

We recently started composting too - less trash in the kitchen trash can (which then doesn't smell as much!) and it will also come in handy when I hopefully start a garden next year.

[Jennifer Porter]

One way our family has significantly cut down on waste is to compost. Almost all of our food scraps go in the compost pile, which we will use for good quality soil (for free!!) in our garden.

[Becky]

These are things that we also do, except for using rags instead of PT and washing plastic bags. DH uses way too many PT. I have tried to get him to cut back but no luck. Staying home has been difficult for DH. He is the one who loves to go, go, go. I am the frugal one. But he is trying very hard :)

[Kristen]

I would love to hear suggestions on what to use instead of paper towels to clean the bathroom (toilet, sink, etc.) This is my major vice ... I've switched to cloth towels in the kitchen, but the toilet ... just grosses me out. Ideas??

[Jen@Balancing Beauty and Bedlam]

It was unbelievable for me to start putting all the little kitchen scraps in a bucket. WOW, they add up, and now I either add it to garden or feed to chickens. :)

[Julieann]

1- Compost kitchen waste;
2- Buy the double rolls of TP instead of regular rolls;
3- Participate in a sharing program where books, movies, specialty bakeware, etc are shared between a group of people
4- Use rain water to water outside gardens and plants;
5- Use left over cooking water or strained veggie juice to water plants;
6- Turn the water down a notch when showering, doing dishes, etc

[Martha]

Some of the things that I do.

1. Save on shampoo and soap by washing my hair every other day.
2. I make sure we eat all of our left overs before cooking something else.
3. I recycle all of our Sunday papers.
4. When we do go out to eat, we always share meal so we don't have have left overs crowding our fridge.

[shannon]

I love #8... I know so many people who request free samples for stuff they are not even interested in, just because it is FREE. That doesn't make much sense!

[Honey]

http://smallnotebook.org/2009/07/14/20-tips-to-waste-less-food/
Here's a link to another great post about wasting less food. It's funny you should post this because I was just thinking about how staying home causes us to use all the food we have. I just took last night's pork chops and brocolli and added it to some ramen noodles and steamed some edamame. The kids kept saying, "I love Chinese food". I feel a sense of satisfaction to use what we have instead or throwing it out. By contrast, on days we are busy doing errands, we are more likely to grab something out-therby spending more money and "neglecting" our leftovers. When we have a lot of errands I try to do them early or later in order to be home for lunch. I enjoy the challenge of creatively coming up with ways to re-purpose various leftovers. Another idea is to crumble up leftover hamburgers (from a cookout maybe) to make spaghetti sauce. Thanks for starting conversations where moms (and others) can benefit from tips from other moms! I'm learning a lot!

[Suzanne]

On number 8, don't forget that you can donate free samples you won't use to places like a battered woman's shelter.

[Jennifer Foutch]

I have been recycling all of our paper, plastic, and cans at a local recycling drop off point. This has tremendously reduced the amount of trash bags we use.

[Jessica]

1. For gifts, I try to make handmade gifts from supplies already at hand (recycle wool sweaters into felt then sew into toys, for example). When other people want to get a gift for my 2 yo DD, if they ask what she wants I usually say "She rarely plays with stuffed animals but she loves being a zoo member." or "She just wore out her sandals and could use a pair in size 9" so that she gets things that she either needs or experiences rather than "stuff" that will sit around, break, collect dust, require maintenance, annoy us, or do all the above! When people ask me what I like for myself, I ask for silly socks (you have to wear socks, and I just love silly ones) or a replacement for something of mine that wore out or broke (this year, I want pinking shears for Christmas).

2. I have a worm farm for my kitchen waste and use the compost in my garden.

3. I too try to make things at home. It's simple to make your own applesauce, for example, and you can avoid all the packaging if you make your own.

4. I try to reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle wherever possible within the limits of my sanity. I do work outside the home full time and earn more than 50% of our household's income.

[Kathy]

Thanks for the reminder! I'm glad you are being so good!! It's funny, i have just been thinking recently about how easy it is to use more of something because it was "free" and you have plenty, and also how easy it is to acquire so much "stuff" you don't need/use. I know some couponers regularly donate items to those that need them, and I really admire their organization skills as well as their caring. I personally try not to use extra or buy things we don't need/ use, but it is easy to get off track, especially when you've worked hard to "find" the bargain. We need to stop and think about this periodically. I am especially BAD about buying items with lots of packaging, especially easy to do when cpns make it cheaper.

[Jennifer]

One way we have reduced waste is by starting a compost pile. Since we started composting, our weekly trash output is one kitchen-size trash bag (sometimes two) per week -- for a family of 5. I'm thinking about calling our trash collectors to see if they'll pick up every other week rather than once per week to save costs. One other benefit of composting is that we now have free high-quality fertilizer for our lawn, flower beds or garden.

[twitter.com/shirtsizesmall]

I just wanted to mention something about #5. I agree with the reuse of bags in MOST instances- or attempting to avoid them entirely. But everyone PLEASE do not reuse ziplocks for storing food. If you must use them, reuse them for something else such as pencils, cosmetics, etc. Water that's hot enough to safely clean them may cause them to break down, as these bags are not made to be safely cleaned. There is also a high potential for cross contamination if using raw foods. We do not want to contaminate ourselves or increase our cancer risks!

[Ellen Drake]

Cloth diapering!!!!!!! I think this is probably the single biggest thing a parent can do to reduse waste. It's definitely not for everyone, but every cloth diaper we use is one less disposable in the landfill! It definitely adds up.

[Celia Emmons]

I LOVE this post! My family has been working hard to live more simply (inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster- highly recommend it!) I began baking my own bread. I was intimidated at first, but it is actually really easy and something my kids can help with. I use a bread machine, and it is really cheap, healthier, and we aren't throwing away all of those plastic bread bags! Thank you!

[Kimberly]

Great ideas. You may also want to add composting to the list. It is a good way of dealing with some waste you cannot avoid making such as food waste and lawn trimmings. You can also compost things like paper and hair. It saves you from having to pay for it to be hauled off to the landfill and you're making rich soil you can use later on to grow your flowers and veggies in.

[Kellie]

We do many of the same things you are doing...use only cloth napkins, rags instead of paper towels, no paper plates, cook from scratch, everyone has their own bathroom cup instead of dixie cups, use vinegar and baking soda to clean, borrowing books instead of buying, use tupperware instead of plastic bags when we can, kids' clothes are almost all hand-me-downs (and so are mine!), consolidate errands for less driving/gas usage, being conscious of turning off things that aren't being used, planted a veggie garden this year, and of course, recycling as much "trash" as we can!

[Andrea]

The big thing I've had to learn to do and which is a real challenge for me is this: No matter how good the bargain is, even if it's free, if you won't use it, don't get it. My natural instinct is to hate to pass up a great bargain especially a free one. I have several boxes of one particular type of cereal that was really cheap---but the kids won't touch it. But it'll end up in the trash or going to the kids' holiday season food collection drive at the school. One thing some people overlook is---when you're brushing your teeth or in the shower shampooing up your hair, turn off the water. Little by little it adds up.

[stacy]

The less waste you create the fewer trash bags you have to buy-environment friendly and wallet friendly!!

[Ashley]

I have been thinking of trying the Basic H cleaner and I was wondering if it has a smell? Would love to know! Thanks!

[Melissa]

Cut your dryer sheets in half.

[Andrea]

Another thing I forgot to mention is that, while we are not vegetarians, we try to serve meat less often and vegetarian dishes more often. This is better for one's health and also for the earth---meat production is terribly wasteful. If everyone would cut back on the meat (not having to give it up entirely, but decreasing one's consumption) there would be more land available to grow food for people. It is also wasteful not just in terms of land use, but in how much water is used to produce meat for human consumption. I

[Maxine]

One thing I've done lately is to try to save on paper. When I print out one or two coupons, I cut the remainer off and use it for notes, grocery lists, etc.

[Jenni @ Life from the Roof]

This is to tag onto your "staying at home more" point, but when you stay at home, you automatically a) use less gas and b) save money as well as exhaust fumes which help the environment.

I love cooking from scratch. In fact, doing so has made me sensitive to how many containers we use when we buy something prepared. I just can't handle the thought sometimes of having to deal with the container that the food product comes in.

[Stephanie]

I save money by making my own laundry detergent and fabric softener. I use the same containers everytime, so I do not have extra plastic containers to recycle.

I think you have mentioned this before, but I plan my shopping trips to use less gas. Saves money and the air.

[Heather Campbell]

I mentioned almost all of these things when I gave a presentation on saving at the store to my local MOMS Club in August. I also try to keep small appliances unplugged as much as possible (coffee pot, toaster oven, can opener, hairdryer, portable fans). I read about a mom who has a power-free hour every day, usually during her child's naptime. She can turn off all the lights, and unplug things while they don't need them anyway.
I've also drastically cut back on paper plates in our home, but if we do use them, we try to reuse them if they aren't very dirty.

[Alicia]

We're trying to be more green and cut costs, too. It's very difficult to do both! We're a family that is constantly on the go, and I sometimes find it difficult to plan frugal snacks and meals accordingly.

One thing I've started doing around the house is cutting my dryer sheets in half. I'd read that and thought it was crazy, as my clothes are still static-y with an entire sheet in the winter. It's actually worked well for us this summer, and if I was something that would normally require 1-2 full sheets, I can get by with 2-3 half sheets.

You can also use an old washcloth, dipped in liquid fabric softener or hair conditioner. Let it dry and throw it in with each load in the dryer. It will last for months.

We are unable to completely do away with paper towels (no matter how much I'd like to!) because we eat a lot of fried foods and bacon, and don't know of another way to drain it.

I also like to save all of my leftover meats and veggies in a bag in the freezer- even if it's just 3 or 4 green beans. Every month, I throw it all together, add some potatoes, rice, and tomatoes (if they aren't in there aleady) and make a delicious stew. All of those scraps make a huge pot of stew!

[Kris]

I have recently cut way back on the amount of laundry detergent I use and added a small amount of water to my really thick shamoo. I haven't noticed my laundry any less clean and it takes less time/water to rinse my hair. All with little or no effort...
Love your blog. Thanks for all the money saving tips!

[Sam]

Baking soda mixed with water to make a paste is great for taking bugs and tar off cars. Use a towel and a little elbow grease. Then just rinse with water. Won't hurt paint.

[katherine]

Regarding 6) we have not purchased paper towels in over 11 years. When our children were born they were premature and everyone who came to help had to wash their hands - often. I didn't want to worry about germs left behind on one towel in the bathroom so I purchased 60 inexpensive white washcloths that came in packs of 10 at Walmart.

We still use the following process today. When they began to look too grungy to fold as nice hand towels in the bathroom they get demoted to the bottom drawer in the kitchen where they are used for everything from washing dishes to wiping up messes to answering a child's request for a "wet one" while eating dinner.

When they really start looking worse, half of them get demoted again to either the rag bin in the utility room or the rag bin in the garage where they are used for whatever boys and daddies need them for. At this point they are usually too dirty to get clean anymore and they're "let go" and tossed in the garbage because they have done their job well.

Regarding 10) I water down just about everything we use in the bathroom like shampoo, condition, and body soap. Adding water actually makes most products work better because they are too concentrated right out of the bottle.

We are doing a major decluttering at our home right now and the tips you've shared here will be useful. Thank you.

[Katherine]

Forgot to mention that we also don't use paper plates. It seems like a good idea to get out of doing the dishes, but there are always dishes when you cook, so a few extra plates isn't that bad.

I bought plain off white Corelle when it was on sale and if we break a piece I put it on the shopping list and wait for it to go on sale again.

[Mary]

Best way to remove bugs from cars? Moistened dryer sheets. It's absolutely amazing. I'm guessing a rag dipped in conditioner would work also.

We make all our cleaning supplies and laundry detergents saving a huge amount of packaging.

Buying staples and paper goods in bulk helps with trash as well.

We compost all scraps.

Don't bring home all those flyers/brochures/local magazines etc. unless you're truly going to read them cover to cover and can't get the info online.

Use the library or book exchanges instead of buying books.

[Jenn V.]

I NEVER run an errand without having a list of 2-4 errands to run. One trip saves gas.
The interesting thing about composting and recycling is that we (family of 4) have one small bag of trash on the curb a week, while households with 2 people will drag out 4-5 bags to the curb. For the life of me, I can't imagine where all that trash comes from!
Put the TV, VCR, DVD player and game consoles on a surge strip that we switch off when nothing is being used. It would surprise people how much energy appliances all use even in the off position!

[karen]

We were using a million paper towels UNTIL....I put them in a cupboard. If I can't see the paper towels, I automatically reach for a cloth towel. (works for my hubby too) Since stashing the paper towels in the cupboard, a roll will last us several months.

I agree that it's hard to get rid of paper towels for gross stuff--wiping the toilet or cleaning dog barf.

[Katherine]

Instead of using paper towels or rags I have to wash for gross jobs, I keep stained clothes or a cut up old t-shirt and I just toss the rag once I've finished with it. It works well because I'm reusing the t-shirt scrap before tossing it. I only chop up shirts that no one else would wear (eg. race day shirts or t's that are already worn out). Hope this helps someone else!

I think most of the time frugal and eco-friendly living go hand in hand.

[Kellie]

Forgot to say that I also take all the papers my children bring home from school, and if they are blank on the back, I cut them in half and use for scratch paper to make grocery lists, menus, taking notes, etc. (I may also leave them whole and print internet coupons on the back.) When finished, they get shredded and tossed in the recycling bin.

[Beth]

Lately I've been very bothered by how much we waste, especially in terms of packaging for food and other products. I'm pretty good about cooking from scratch but right now we use a lot of packaged snack foods.

Here are ways we do cut back:

1. One vehicle. Works for us because we only have one driver right now.
2. COMPOSTING! And we don't even garden! We just dump produce waste in the back of our yard near our trees and every few weeks my husband takes a shovel and buries it. People try to make composting way too complicated. Just dig a hole.
3. Cloth diapering.
4. For about a decade I have used cheapo cloth diapers in liu of paper towels or sponges to clean. Instead of paper towels I use those thin white dish towels that are dirt cheap at Target.
5. Baking soda and vinegar for cleaning.
6. Laundry soap: you only need about 1/2 the amount the bottle calls for.
7. Travel mug for coffee whenever I go to Starbucks. I know, I know. Not the most frugal habit but I do so only once or twice a week at the most.
8. I reuse water bottles. I know you're technically not supposed to but every time I buy an expensive travel bottle I lose it. If I lose a $1.69 Aquafina bottle it's not a big deal.
9. Local foods. Yes, I pay more for many of these but it's worth it. I buy all our poultry directly from the farmer and get as much of our produce as I can from the Farmer's Market. We have a CSA and during the off season I seek out as many local products as possible. Thankfully I live in a farm state.

[Michelle]

I save socks with holes in them or old t-shirts cut into small pieces for cleaning the toilets or other nasty jobs. Then just toss when finished.

Also if I am cooking something in the oven and it calls for it to be covered, most of the time I cover with an inverted cookie sheet. Saves on foil that way.

I also try and get real creative with my leftovers. That way it isn't just the same old thing and I am not wasting.

[Jenn V.]

Having just read the post about re-using old t-shirts, I've been known to cut them up (spiral cut them starting at hem into long 1" wide strips) and crochet them into bath mats. Very absorbent!

/J

[Emily]

Thanks for the great ideas. I always let me dishwasher air dry overnight. Less energy used and they are ready in the morning.

[The Prudent Homemaker]

Dryer sheets are not neccessary! What makes clothes staticy is drying them for too long. Set the timed dry on your dryer for just the amount of time you need. I dry everything on low (to prevent shrinkage) and I dry most loads for 60 minutes and towels and and jeans for 75. Only dry them for the time needed, and you'll never need dryer sheets again.

We use rags for cleaning the toliet. I wash rags every couple of days with bleach on a sterilize load.

If you're at home most of the day, and have dry lips (I live in a dry climate), use a tub of store-brand petroleum jelly instead of chapstick (or a name-brand bought with a coupon). I bought one tub 5 years ago and it has not run out. I use it several times a day and at night before I go to sleep. Even a small tub will last several years. Just make sure to put it up HIGH if you have small children (I speak from experience!)

*****************
Money Saving Mom here: I agree with The Prudent Homemaker. I've never used dryer sheets and get along fine without them! And rags work great for cleaning toilets as does petroleum jelly in place of chapstick. :)

[Lea]

If you're cleaning the bathroom with rags - something I have always done - clean items from cleanest first to the toilet last. In my house the order is mirror, window, walls, tub/shower, sink and then toilet. Whatever it is for you - just remember to do the toilet last! Then throw the rag in the washer with other things that need bleach and wash on hot. :) If you can't get over the ick factor - wear rubber gloves or save those plastic baggies with the little holes or a slightly torn side in them and slip one over your hand while scrubbing the toilet.

I'll second the no dryer sheets needed. You can also throw the stuff you need to iron in the dryer on the 'damp dry' setting (or remove them slightly early) and you don't need to use the steam setting on your iron! No static and no water in the iron.

I can't for the life of me figure out the million bags a week of garbage either. We had 2 bags a week when we had 2 in disposable diapers - and they were mostly diapers. Now we have one. And always an overflowing recycling can!

Thanks for the post Crystal! Love your blog!

[Kimberly]

Don't forget how much waste feminine products can make. Switching to reusable cloth pads, the Keeper, the Moon Cup, or the DivaCup will cut down on waste and is less expensive than buying disposables every month.

[cdmom]

I keep a bucket in the shower to collect water that can be used to water plants or even flush toilets!

[mary]

we do pretty much everything mentioned above. rags instead of pt-my husband was way too liberal with them, no paper plates, use cloth napkins, diapers, and wipes, no dryer sheets, limited detergent, and instead of shampoo i've been using baking soda and vinegar and my hair is much happier. to reduce "feminine" waste, i've thought about using a "diva cup" but since i'm still cycle free from baby, haven't needed it yet. oh, and breastfeeding-obvious but it does save a lot of waste. if i want to get really creative, i could include Natural Family Planning in my list of thrifty things-no contraceptives to buy, no packaging, and no extra hormones polluting our water supply. happy, healthy family-yay!!

[Debbie]

I've used my dryer just a handful of times this year. We hang all of our laundry in clothes racks, even in the winter time. We wash at night and by the time we get back from work the next day everything is dry. In the summer, the sun is our allied. Not only are we saving money but we are also saving the environment.

[Maggie]

-cloth diaper
-recycle
-leave the heat about 67 in winter and A/C at 78 in summer (so you don't waste your $ on energy costs)
-reuse plastic bags as bathroom trashcan liners
-use both sides of a paper
-shut off lights

[Jill]

I read once that you can use dryer sheets to clean soap scum in your bathroom. I was doubtful, but it worked like a charm! I re-use dryer sheets that I've already used in the dryer, and it works great. They are also good for dusting as well.