I recently moved to a new apartment and live with less people than before. I alway thought the amount of trash/waste being produced was due to living with 3 other people. However, I have realized this is not the case. I alone produce enough trash to fill a medium sized trashcan in one day and I am not conscious about recycling. I believe food is the biggest part of the wastes I produce.  So, for the past few weeks I have been tracking how often I have to take the trash out and how fast the trashcan fills up. It was shocking to see that what me and my roommate alone produce. We are both very busy and rarely home so it shoots us both to see how much we throw away. Since making a conscious effort to reduce wastes we only take the trash out once a week now and have a separate bin for recycling. 

Im more conscious about buying things as well, trying to reduce the use of single use plastics can be challenging at first. I buy a plastic water bottle everyday because I forget my reusable bottle. Not only am I wasting my money, I’m also wasting resources. So, I make an effort to fill my water bottle at night and put it in my refrigerator and grab it before I leave in the morning. I also stopped buying smoothies and started making them at home. I use my own reusable cup and straw, saving the planet from wasting another plastic cup and straw. 

In the few weeks I’ve been making these changes I’ve seen plenty of changes. I produce less trash and I have been saving money (in many ways). I would probably spend about $50 a week between smoothies and single use plastic water bottles. Now I am saving that money and helping reduce waste! I struggled with this at first, but quickly overcame the struggles once I got into a routine. It is important to be aware of the wastes you are producing. You never realize how much is being wasted until you track it. I encourage whoever is reading this to track your wastes and come up with ways to reduce them. It can be challenging in the beginning but it is worth it. My goal for the summer is to create a compost area in my back parking lot for be and my neighbors to use! Happy waste reducing everyone!