Hi. Is there a way to stop contributing to landfills without being a hoarder?
There’s a few ways. It can be difficult, and I advise people start in one or two areas of their life, and don’t strive for perfectionism. Unfortunately, I find some of the zero waste/low waste communities and groups can be a little intensive, and you have to be realistic and sustainable about what you can maintain doing, or you’re not going to do it long term.
Limiting waste at the entry point is usually a good start. I think we tend to think of how we can reuse or get rid of things sustainably, but also sometimes we can avoid this problem altogether from the start. I have reusable shopping bags I keep in my car and reusable produce bags (so I’m buying loose fruit and vegetables and not packaged things). I tend to keep a list of things I own like clothes, self care products (moisturiser, etc) and try not to overconsume or buy, or overcomplicate (like being realistic with myself I don’t need 12 different skincare products or 10 different jackets).
If I do really want something, I tend to give myself a few weeks before I purchase it, just to make sure it’s not a novelty thing or I’m trying to temporarily make myself feel better in the moment (and then whatever I wanted ends up barely getting used or collecting dust).
Minimising waste at the other end can be tricky. Realistically, recycling isn’t perfect and we know in lots of places things end up dumped anyway, but I still encourage trying what you can, even if it’s just one or two little things you add into your life routine. We have a soft plastic recycling scheme in Aotearoa, and I try to collect what I can, and then every 3-4 weeks drop it off. I also know people who do things like separate tetrapak recycling (the cardboard cartons that are lined, like milk), polystyrene, specific types of plastic, etc. It depends what’s available in your area and what you can realistically do (if you have to put a bunch of extra effort and resources in, like using gas to take something a decent distance away, it may not be worth it).
Sometimes teaming up with people can also be helpful too! A bunch of my friends and I often combine any broken electronics or used batteries once a year to get sent to specific recycling so it’s one load instead of multiple little ones.
Reusing is a really important part of waste reduction, but you have to find a fine balance. If I can’t think of a use for something, it’s probably not worth hoarding away until a day I might come up with something. If this is hard, you can always keep a 30 day period, and if you haven’t found a use for whatever you’re keeping you need to move it on.
An example in housing I’ve lived in is spice jars - we tend to buy the glass bottles initially and then refill them. But sometimes we do end up with double ups or one we don’t intend to use again, so there’s a limited time frame to see if we can use it, or else it needs to be recycled (alternatively, check in with your local thrift/op shops because some of them do actually take these)!
In terms of food waste, planning can be really hard to get into but also really effective. I have a bunch of staples, but going into each week with a basic meal plan/meal prep concept, I tend to only buy what I need for that, which means I’m not spending money on extra things, and not having extra food items I may not even get around to using, and therefore waste. Food scrap recycling is minimal but also I find just tends to make people feel a little better - I have a small worm farm! If you’re in a place you can’t have something like that though, sometimes seeing if there’s any local community composting can also be something people find encouraging.
If you have food you know you’re not going to use, there’s also giveaway groups or apps like Olio where you can see if anyone else is interested in it.
There is lots of little things you can do to reduce your overall consumption and waste output. I suggest just implementing little things you can, and seeing if you can maintain them. Realistically, individuals shouldn’t be shamed for their impact compared to large corporations and businesses, but I think it’s also good to encourage social and environmental responsibility and consciousness.
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