Reducing Your Waste with Minimalism

As a developing minimalist, I have started to become really aware of the stuff that surrounds me. Of course, that makes sense due to the number of hours I have spent mulling over the items in my apartment, but in this case I'm not talking about the items themselves, but the waste that's associated with them. 

The amount of trash that leaves my apartment every week is mind-boggling. Every Friday when I take the bags out to the dumpster, I am amazed that I am the one who produced this. I'm only one person! How did I end up with this much trash?

So I'm going to try and combat this. I can't stand the idea of contributing more and more to the landfill every week, so I've come up with a few ideas to help me (and you!) get on the right track. 

1. Go through your trash...

Yes... I know. Ew. But it has to be done!  Take an inventory of the types of things you're throwing away. Is most of it food? Plastic? Paper? Pay attention to what the main contributors are and make sure you're disposing of your trash properly, and recycling the right items. 

2. Find Alternatives.

Now that you're done taking inventory, figure out how to change it! If you're throwing away a lot of paper, switch to cloth rags instead of paper towels, save digital copies of documents instead of printing, and even ask your professor/boss to email you documents instead of giving handouts. I can promise you that almost everything you throw away has a reusable alternative, and switching not only allows you to reduce your waste, but will save you from having to buy the same thing over and over and over again. 

Here's some examples of reusable products I use and love:

Safety Razor, Aluminum Straw, Ikea produce bags, menstrual cup, tea cup. 

3. Don't Just Recycle, Upcycle!

Through the minimalism journey it is normal to produce more trash than usual, and it isn't necessarily a bad thing, but take this opportunity to really think about the things you might buy as replacements. When something breaks, it should be completely worn out. If you are finding yourself throwing things away shortly after you got them, it might be time to consider your spending priorities. Buying something of lower quality just because it's cheaper sets you up for failure. Spending a little more now, can definitely pay off later, and our planet will thank you for it.