3 Ways You Can Reduce Household Waste During The Pandemic

While there has been a decrease in the number of cars on the road during the pandemic, the positive effects felt by the environment as a result of this have essentially been negated due to other factors that are putting more stress on the environment. From huge wildfires to overall increases in plastics being consumed, it can be hard to know what you can do to make a difference while still keeping yourself safe from negative health impacts.

To help you in figuring this out, here are three ways that you can reduce your household waste during the pandemic.

Recycle Anything And Everything

As in pre-pandemic times, one of the best things you can do to reduce waste is to recycle any and all possible items that you use at home.

According to Emily Small, a contributor to Baltimore County government, everyone should be trying to recycle things like the hand sanitizer bottles that they’ve bought in recent months. In addition to this, you can also recycle any other plastic bottles you’ve bought, for water or other products, along with any cardboard that you’ve had delivered to your house. And if you’ve been getting a lot of takeout, try to purchase from businesses who strive to make their packaging biodegradable or compostable so they’re not adding to the problem of waste.

Be Cognizant Of Utility Usage

With more people being home during the day, it’s only natural that each household would be using more energy and utilities than they have in the past. Despite this, there are ways that you can reduce your energy usage and keep yourself from wasting utilities that you don’t actually need to be using.

To help you with this, the EPA advises that you try to keep the lights off inside your home during the day and rely on natural lighting as much as possible. You should also try to keep your air conditioner set to a higher temperature so you’re not using it as often. And if you have items that can be unplugged from their sockets rather than just turned off, make sure you’re actually unplugging them to keep vampire energy from being used and wasted while you’re not actively using that appliance or electronic.

Stock Up Your Freezer

Since food production has been thrown for a loop during the pandemic, it’s now more important than ever to stop with food waste.

One way you can do this, according to Siobhan Neela-Stock, a contributor to Mashable.com, is to make better use of your freezer. If you have items that you don’t think you’ll eat within a day or two of bringing it home, or you’ve bought more than you presently need, stick it in your freezer so it will keep for a longer period of time.

If you’re worried about how your household waste has spiked during the pandemic, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you reduce this waste.