The downside of the world’s fast-paced development is that, in exchange for convenience, we generate more waste. Indeed, we are producing more waste than we are able to recover, reuse, or recycle. There are plenty of initiatives and ideas to help mitigate this problem. While governments develop policies and corporations work on innovations, we can all do our part in helping curb the growing amount of trash that we produce.

Here are some of the ways you can better manage household waste.

Minimise the Use of Plastic

Plastic is literally found everywhere on the planet, even underground and in our oceans. Indeed, studies predict that there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050. The problem is that there are so many products nowadays that are made from and/or wrapped in plastic. More than that, people around the world are already so used to using plastic. So what’s the solution? For one, you can start patronising products that don’t utilise plastic or use as less plastic in their products as possible. Bring refillable water bottles when you travel, instead of buying bottled water. Use your own cloth shopping bags when you go out for groceries. Simple ways like this can go a long way in reducing the amount of plastic that makes its way to landfills and bodies of water.

Hire the Pros for the Big Jobs

It’s relatively easy to deal with your household’s weekly trash. But what if you’ve just renovated a couple of rooms or decluttered a year’s worth (or more) of mess? What do you do with the rubbish? For big waste management and disposal jobs, it’s best to contact a rubbish removal company. They’ll be the ones to pick up the trash from your home and ensure that everything gets disposed of properly. Whether the destination is the landfill, a recycling plant, or other waste management facility, a rubbish removal service provider will ensure that your trash gets there quickly and efficiently. Hard rubbish removals can also be carried out by professional companies.

There are a lot of companies which could help with removing all the unwanted items. There could also be times when you are left with waste that is difficult to dispose of. One option which you could think of in such an instance may include skip hire services. It’s a waste of money and time to order a skip that’s too thin. If you order a skip that is too small, you will have to order an extra skip, which will cost you more. If you’re unsure about the size of skip to hire, skip hiring firms such as Drayner and other similar firms could be a great help.

Know Which Wastes Can Be Recycled

Everyone knows the value of recycling, but not many might be aware of which materials can actually be recycled. For example, did you know that pizza boxes aren’t ideal for recycling? That’s because the cardboard (which is recyclable) is already contaminated with cheese, bits of food, and grease. Disposable paper cups also can’t be recycled. They have a thin film of plastic that’s difficult to separate from the paper during the recycling process. That’s why it helps to know which items can be recycled and sort them accordingly. If you have recently decided to look at sites like EKO Home to browse their recycling bins, it has never been easier to separate recyclable items from each other. Again, this can help to make sure that you are recycling in the proper fashion because as we all know, this process is very important. For a bit of a refresher, here are some common recyclable materials: any plastic container labeled 1 to 7; paper products that aren’t contaminated; and glass and aluminum.

Go Paperless As Much as You Can

Did you know that more than 30 percent of waste in landfills is mostly paper products? This means that we should also minimise the use of paper and not just plastic. Thankfully, we now live in a highly digital world and going paperless is a little bit easier. For one, sign up for paperless billing if your banks and utility companies offer the service. You may also want to cancel your subscription to magazines and newspapers and instead opt to get the online editions. When it comes to cleaning, reduce the use of paper towels and instead use rags made from old clothes. You should also consider using hand towels in the kitchen and bathroom.

Donate, Don’t Throw

When you declutter your home after a while, you’ll notice a lot of items that you no longer use but are still serviceable. Some of them might even be as good as new. These include things like clothes, toys, gadgets, and books. Instead of throwing these away, why not donate these items to those who need them? Orphanages and charities, thrift shops, even schools accept donations in kind. Doing so not only helps minimise trash, it also keeps your home clean.

Waste is a huge global problem, further exacerbated by economic and population growth and urbanisation. It will take a long time to fix, but it’s definitely fixable. As private individuals, one of the best ways to pitch in is to start at home. Let’s all do our part to help.