Have you ever found yourself feeling overwhelmed with the amount of unnecessary trash in your home? Maybe it’s the burden of taking out the trash multiple times a week or perhaps you just read an article about helping climate change and want to be more conscious about the waste you generate. No matter your initial intentions, it’s easier than you think to take steps in the right direction. Here are five simple ways you can start to reduce the unnecessary waste in your home.

1. Give It Away

As some might say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Even though you may not be able to find a use for something, someone else may. Whether it’s your local thrift shop or an online community, you can easily find other people who can use the things that no longer serve you. Before you rush to throw something away, think about all of the people out there who would see value in that item.

2. Fix It

Next time you feel like you want to bring your dishwasher to the dump because it didn’t clean one of your forks, reconsider. Instead of creating e-waste and spending tons of money on brand new items, create breathing room in your budget by fixing broken appliances instead of replacing them altogether. This will save you money in the long run.

3. Check Your Habits  

There’s a huge community of people who want to minimize waste in the world. Throughout your average day, take note every time you find yourself throwing something away and try to find alternatives that produce less waste. For example, consider buying a reusable water bottle instead of using plastic water bottles or invest in a reusable shopping bag to reduce the number of plastic grocery bags you bring home from the store.

4. Junk Mail

How many times have you received pointless junk mail in your mailbox? Too many times to count, right? Luckily, there are ways to remove yourself from these mass lists. Doing this prevents the buildup of paper waste and removes an unnecessary annoyance. You can thank me later.

5. Learn and Share

Once you take these new steps to reduce waste in your home, it’s important to share what you’ve learned with friends and family. Let them know that you’re trying to eliminate waste and ask them to join you throughout this new journey. When you learn something new, educate those around you on how it’s impacted your waste habits.

All in all, these little changes can actually make a huge difference. Don’t overwhelm yourself with wanting to change everything at once. Implement changes one at a time and when you’re ready, try to find other small ways where you can reduce waste. Set goals for yourself and remind yourself why you wanted to eliminate waste in the first place.

Not only will these changes eliminate waste, but they will also save you time and money. It’s becoming easier and easier to live a life free of waste. Hop on board and join the multitude of people aiming to eliminate waste on a global scale. We’re all rooting for you!