Beginner's Guide to Reducing Waste

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the largest component of municipal solid waste sent to landfill is food. Therefore, the most effective way to reduce your household waste is to reduce and divert food scraps! The District has advice on ways to reduce food waste that can save money. Planning is key; make sure to shop with a list, take inventory of your fridge, use up leftovers, and store food properly. Additionally, certain food scraps are edible! Click here to learn more about cooking with food scraps.

Reducing food waste is not the only way to divert food waste from the landfill! You can feed food scraps to animals like chickens (or pigs, if not feeding them meat), start a compost pile in your backyard, compost indoors with a worm bin, contact your trash and recycling hauler about curbside food scrap collection, or bring food scraps to a local town drop-off. Additionally, food scraps are accepted from residents for free at the District Transfer Station. Call us at (802) 388-2333 for more info on disposal of food scraps.

Use reusable bags for all shopping needs. Don’t limit reusables to grocery shopping—bring reusable bags when shopping for clothes, books, household goods, etc. You can also use reusable produce bags to purchase loose food items (such as fruits and veggies) from the grocery store.

If you find yourself forgetting bags at home, try storing bags in your car. Or, purchase folding reusable bags and keep them in your purse, on your keychain, or in your pocket at all times. For a more extreme solution, you can force yourself to return home for your bags if you catch yourself forgetting, or make yourself carry your purchases out of the store without a bag. Chances are, you will remember this unpleasant experience and be significantly less likely to forget your bags next time!

Instead of opting for bottled water, carry a reusable water bottle. It is a myth that bottled water is healthier than tap water—although both tap and bottled water are federally regulated in the U.S., tap water actually has stricter quality and health standards than bottled water. Benefit the environment, your health, and your finances by embracing tap and going reusable!

Avoid paper towels, napkins, and tissues by going reusable! Use handkerchiefs, wash cloths, cloth napkins, towels, and/or cleaning rags to wipe up messes and clean household surfaces. After use, simply toss in the laundry. Wash in hot water and line dry in the sun to disinfect.

Visit our page about fighting junk mail, or start with these quick tips: Contact your bank and utility companies to inquire about electronic statements and payments. Check out Direct Marketing Association Choice to stop receiving most junk mail, go to optoutprescreen.com to stop receiving pre-approved offers from credit bureaus, and visit yellowpagesoptout.com to opt out of phone books. For other unwanted mailings, contact the company directly and politely request you be removed from their mailing list.

Fresh fruits and veggies are typically offered loose in the produce section, and you can also buy many dry foods package-free in the bulk section of grocery stores. Bring your own reusable produce bags, containers, or flour sacks to purchase bulk items and produce instead of the plastic produce bags supplied at the stores. Check out our Package-Free Grocery Shopping Guide to learn more.

Use reusable containers and reusable food wrap instead of plastic baggies, aluminum foil, and cling wrap. Side note: You can also use a reusable silicone baking mat in place of aluminum foil/parchment paper for baking! Check out more kitchen waste reduction tips.

Bring real silverware and cloth napkins if packing meals or carry silverware to avoid disposable forks, knives, spoons, and sporks. You can use the silverware you already own, get silverware cheaply at a thrift store, or purchase a travel silverware set with a carrying case.

Disposable straws suck! Try drinking your beverages without a straw. When placing a drink order, politely ask for no straw. If you don’t want to give up straws completely, you can purchase a reusable straw instead.