Reduce Household Waste Expenses

One hidden culprit that can attack a household budget quietly is the costs of waste produced from the home and surrounding property. We pay the cost of our refuse in many ways. Many municipalities charge waste removal fees through the use of a purchased garbage can sticker, line item charge on utility bills, or a separate waste bill. Regardless of the methodology used to charge the resident, the expenses for waste refuse add up to significant amounts throughout the year. Fortunately there are some measures one can take to reduce the amount of garbage produced by the household. The steps taken should not be aimed at saving money but also to lower the amount of landfill and waste created.

Recycle

One area to reduce waste is through recycling. Our city has weekly pickups of recyclable materials be it aluminum, polystyrene, metal, and many plastics. These are all items that should not be thrown into a regular garbage bag or can to eventually be subjected to landfill. Recycling these items will also cut down on volume of refuse that goes into your regular trash can which will enable you to possibly hold off on bringing the can to curb for another week. Also look into city or neighborhood recycle drives for used computer equipment, building materials, and even toxic household chemicals. Many cities and counties will often hold such recycle drives for no charge.

Consumable Waste

Food scraps are avoidable. I own a waste disposal that grinds up leftover peels and remaining food and sends it away through a waste drain. Avoid throwing leftover food into the trash can. Such practices will load up your garbage can in a hurry. Throwing away food scraps into the trash also promotes rotting and unpleasant odors in the home or garage during warm weather months. If you do not own a sink disposal, consider spending the money.

Exterior Waste

The cost of throwing away landscape debris and lawn cuttings can be quite significant. My city requires yard clippings and yard waste to go into a large paper bag that requires a three dollar sticker. If I were to bag my lawn clippings that would use up about two bags which equates to six dollars not including the cost of purchasing these jumbo bags.

There are alternate ways of disposing lawn clippings. First of all one should acquire a lawn mower that mulches the grass thus bypassing the need for bagging. Mulching chops up the cuttings into very tiny pieces and shoots back into the ground. My mower has the capability of mulching and bagging. I usually bag the first cut or two in the spring and mulch the remainder of the year to save money and time.

If you mower does not have the mulching capability or you desire a cleaner cut to your lawn then consider placing your clippings into a compost box in the backyard. Composting is a great way to re-use yard waste since it breaks down into very healthy organic material that can be used to mulch your gardens. There are many ideal do it yourself compost box plans on the internet.

Conservation

Also be proactive with taking a conservative attitude towards household waste whether it is consumable waste, building material waste, or even waste water. Always keep the waste factor in mind when taking on a project or shopping for food. Consider water waste measures with leaky faucets, running toilets, and outdoor irrigation. Cutting back on waste water consumption will be a benefit to your budget as well as the environment.