Ecologue

WasteHacks [wāst-haks] pl. noun – any trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method that reduces waste in all walks of life.

This term, Campus Recycling and the Waste Watchers will share with you easy WasteHacks so you don’t waste time or materials.

WasteHacks for Buying Less

Packaging. Found along roadways and snagged in fencing. Dangling from tree branches and caught in the eddies of rivers. Big name suppliers have an obsession with placing everything in cartons, bags, bins and plastic containers. But just because extra packaging is heavily advertised and used for “convenience” does not always mean you have to buy into it. Here are some things to keep in mind when comparing items:

• Buy drinks that have smaller, thinner caps on them.
• Purchase items in a bulk department. This doesn’t just include food.
• Purchase regularly used items in larger containers.
• Buy used. Used items don’t usually come in containers.
• Focus on containers that can be recycled or composted.
• Just buy less. Fewer purchases means fewer packaging items and waste.

Packaging is expensive too: for every $10 Americans pay on food, $1 of that goes to packaging.

Some companies have already switched to producing products that generate less waste. An example would be water bottles which have been slimmed down in order to use less plastic or apple crates made of recycled paperboard. Keeping an eye out for these qualities when purchasing items is an excellent way in which to reduce one’s impact on the environment as well as shift consumerism to a greener direction.

Alternatively, only buy what you need. By reducing purchases, you also reduce the packaging you use. Ask yourself before you buy: Do I really need this?

Got more WasteHacks? Share them below!

“Wastehacks” is a weekly blog series where we share quick waste reduction tips. Tune in every Monday this term for more.