rely. Yet, even when products dont need repairs they are still thrown away.
The Throw-Away Society vs. The Rest of the World
Americans generated 251 million tons of trash in 2006, the most recent year for which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has data. Our per capita trash disposal rate was 4.6 pounds per person, per day. Sixty-five percent came from residences, while 35 percent came from schools and commercial locations such as hospitals and businesses.
The typical person in a developed country produces about 2.6 pounds of garbage a day. That would mean the average American man, weighing 175 pounds, produces his weight in trash every three months.
This means that Americans dispose of twice as much trash as everyone else in the world. This isnt a good statistic given the environmental issues that go along with this number.
We Have to Make a Sustainable Change
Making a concerted effort to live more mindfully and not playing into this manipulative production tactic can help you break this wasteful cycle. Some of the trash we collect can serve other purposes, and changing your mindset like this is also an essential sustainability skill. Learning the art of using what you have around you to live is the core of being self-reliant and what many of us are trying to achieve.
Small changes can make big impacts. One way we can all minimize the amount of trash that comes into our homes is simply going paperless. You can use technology as a way to reduce your paper hoard. Investing in a scanner, a paper shredder, flash drives and even investing in online filing system, such as Evernote can help you take the necessary steps to reducing your trash load.
You can also look into ways of upcycling and recycling your trash. Anything is possible these days! As well, Pinterest has a lot of great ideas for upcycling trash and items we would otherwise throw away. People have even begun wearing their trash as eye-opening statements or even using trash to make bowls and trash cans.
50 of the Most Thrown Away Items and Clever Ways to Reuse Them
This is the most important resource and one we seem to waste the most. Adding a grey water system for your home can help reuse this resource for flushing an indoor toilet, cleaning laundry, fire protection, washing your car or use it for outdoor garden irrigation. As well, consider installing shower heads that conserve water.
2. Paper towels
How many of these do you throw away each day? Paper towels used for drying hands, or wiping up or can be reused for future cleanup jobs. Further, if using natural cleaning products then you can add them to your compost pile. Investing in cloth dish towels will permanently stop this trash item and help you save money at the same time.
3. Plastic liter soda bottles
This is a very versatile trash item that can be utilized in multiple ways. You can make self-watering pots, grow onions, make a homemade fly trap, and even create a drip irrigation system for your garden. You can also reuse them on the homestead to bottle feed baby livestock.
4. Papers from school or homework
If you cant go paperless, consider shredding paper and using it in litter boxes or added to compost pile. Note: Keep your earthworms happy and ensure that the ink is soy-based.
5. Yogurt cups
Save your yogurt cups and make seed pots. Simply, pierce holes in the bottom and add seed starting soil mix and some seeds. Or, use them as a spill-free paint container for kids
6. Plastic berry containers
These make great mini greenhouses. You can also store sewing supplies, use them by your sink to hold sponges, store homegrown fruits and vegetables, or even make shrinky-dinks.
7. Ziploc bags
We frequently throw these out. By purchasing the heavy duty versions of these plastic bags, they can easily be washed and reused. I used this bottle drying rack to set my bags to dry. They can be also reused for storing food and snacks, small toys, medication, receipts or coupons, or use them to store first aid supplies for a miniature first aid kit. Word of caution: Hand wash and air dry your bags. Ziploc bags have 