A Week of Less Waste

In the frenzy of our everyday lives we may not realize just how much trash we are really producing. While using less electricity or gasoline might be an obvious way to reduce your carbon footprint, there are some easy lifestyle and nutritional choices that can make a big difference. We put together a day-by-day guide to help you take steps to reduce waste in just one week.

Sunday – Purchase local food
If Sunday is the day you head to the grocery store and stock up for the week, think about how you can make some small changes. Supporting local farmers is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Buying locally lowers your dependence on food transported long distances, inspires you to buy more fresh fruits and vegetables and helps offset your carbon emissions.

Monday – Eat less meat
Meatless Monday is a growing trend—and for a good reason. In a 2019 study of 16,800 Americans, diets that released the most greenhouse gasses were highest in meat from beef, veal, pork, and others. Meanwhile, the diets lowest in greenhouse gas emissions were also lowest in meat.

Tuesday – Turn your fiber intake up
That same 2019 study also found that the diets lowest in greenhouse gas emissions were high in fiber-rich plant foods and low in saturated fats and sodium. Fiber-rich foods may help improve your digestive health but also keep you fuller for longer, which naturally limits your intake of items with a heavy carbon footprint.

Wednesday – Ditch the plastic
Reducing your plastic use is an important part of transitioning to an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Plastic items like bags, storage containers and bottles are everywhere and can take up to 1,000 years to break down. But here are a few easy swaps you can make this week:

• Opt out of using plastic bags and plastic wrap when purchasing produce
• Bring your own grocery bag to the store
• Leave the plastic bottled water behind and use a reusable container
• Store your leftovers in glass containers

Thursday – Let the dishwasher do its thing
Did you know that washing a load of dishes in the dishwasher uses 37% less water than hand washing? Never feel lazy for throwing your dishes in the machine again—just make sure it’s a full load.

Friday – Say no to food waste
Food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. That’s because food that’s thrown away decomposes in landfills and emits methane. It’s currently estimated that each person on the planet wastes a staggering 428–858 pounds of food per year, on average!

As you come to the end of the week and gear up to start planning your Sunday shopping run, take note of your food waste and how you can improve it. Plan your meals ahead of time, save leftovers and buy only what you need while shopping. If you want to go a step further, check out our piece on how to compost at home to reduce waste.

Saturday – Unplug
Saturday is a day for relaxing and winding down from the work week. While you have our full permission to sit back and watch some TV or use your computer, make sure to unplug those appliances when you’re done. Many electronic appliances can consume almost as much energy when in standby mode as they do during the time they’re in use.