Reducing Single Use and Increasing Reusable
Jennier Brown
My husband Chris and I have always been avid recyclers but have been trying to focus more on reducing single-use items and increasing reusable items. It’s important for us to try to leave the world a better place for our girls.
We have made several small, easy changes to work toward our goal of reducing waste. One of the easiest changes I’ve made so far is simply to think about purchases and whether I really need them or will use them before adding to the cart. This has reduced the amount of needless items we’d just end up getting rid of. We use silicone bags instead of single-use when possible, reusable grocery bags and cleaning cloths, and cloth napkins instead of paper. I switched to reusable cotton rounds for removing makeup, rather than disposable ones. Something important to remember is that you don’t need to go out and buy new sustainable items right away. It is almost always most sustainable to finish up what you have at home first, and then find something to take its place (or maybe you realize you don’t need to replace it). I purchased these items, but many of them can be made from items I already had around the home!
We like to rescue some items that might be headed for the landfill for storage, art projects, or other uses. Our daughter Emerson and her friend made fairy houses out of flower pots we no longer needed. Our girls used cardboard and an old cookie container to make pretend cookies to “sell.” We re-use takeout containers to store or share food.
Another way to reuse is by refilling or DIYing your own household and beauty products. Koko and Reuse Revolution 614 are new to central Ohio and allow you to bring in your own bottles to refill instead of buying new, plastic bottles every time. We also hear that Bexley Natural Market will have select items available to refill in the near future! Although the product is consumable, the container is reusable, and that’s important!
It feels good that we are reducing what we send to the landfill, and that someone can make use of things we can’t use anymore. And we love buying secondhand! We’ve bought so many toys, clothes, and furniture items from the Bexley Buy, Sell, and Trade Facebook pages. I’d advise anyone who is wanting to start living more sustainably to make small changes that they can build on. The smaller changes are the easiest for me to sustain. If everyone makes lots of small changes, it can add up to a big difference. To learn more about the waste people generate from single use products, visit https://www.greenbexley.org/refuse-and-reduce.
The Green Bexley Blog is featuring content from resident contributors from April 5-9 in honor of Earth Month! Get inspired by your neighbors to make changes in your own life to reduce, buy sustainable, discard appropriately, increase positive actions, learn and teach, and advocate. Visit www.greenbexley.org to make a pledge and take a challenge to solidify your new habits, and see our other Earth Month activities!