As part of the community, we all have a social responsibility towards the environment whether we’d like to acknowledge it or not. Small steps we take can contribute to a bigger whole when it comes to saving our environment. These “small steps” are taken by adopting simple ways to reduce waste on a daily basis. So, let’s talk about some of the easiest and simplest ways you can reduce waste, starting today!
20 Ways to Reduce Waste Effectively
1. Make veggies last longer
Submerge the carrots in a container with water and store them on the refrigerator shelf for up to a month.
2. Regrow celery in water
Fill with enough water to submerge an inch of the root end. Place the bowl or jar where it can get good natural light for several hours a day.
3. Use tea infusers instead of tea bags
Shift from using tea infusers (with tea leaves or tea powder) instead of using one-time use tea bags to reduce waste.
4. Use lemon peel to make a natural cleanser
Fill a clean mason jar, or airtight container, with the peels and pack as tightly as possible. Once you jar is packed, fill with vinegar until all of the peels are completely submerged. Screw the lid on tightly and store the jar in a cool, dark place for two weeks. When you are ready to make the cleanser, combine it with distilled water in a 1:1 ratio and, using a funnel, pour into a spray bottle. Use this as a natural all purpose cleanser in your kitchen.
5. Do not throw away wilted herbs
Store herbs by freezing them in oil (you could use olive oil), in case you find that your herbs are wilting and could get spoilt. Chop the herbs and add them to a ice cube tray along with water or olive oil. Once frozen you can remove and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 6 months.
6. Save rice water and use it as plant fertilizer
Whenever you wash rice, do not throw out the water. Collect the water and use it to water your plants as it can save water and enrich the plant with it’s nutrients. READ MORE – NATURAL PLANT FERTILIZERS with banana peel, rice water and other food scraps
7. Use banana peels to make plant fertilizer
Instead of throwing away your banana peels, you can soak them in water for 2 days and use the water as plant fertilizer.
8. Throw basil in water
Take a cutting of a stem from a basil plant. The cutting should be at least 6 to 8 inches long. Then, fill up a mason jar with water and immerse the ends of the stem into the water (let at least ¼ of the stem be covered in water), making sure that no leaves are touching the water. Keep this on your windowsill where you get partial sunlight.
9. Revive dried herbs and green leafy vegetables
In case your herbs and green leafy vegetables are wilting and drying, cut of half an inch of their stems and place them in cold water for a few hours while stored in the refrigerator. You can also wrap leafy greens in paper towels instead of plastic wraps so that they last longer in the refrigerator.
10. Do not discard food waste, make it into compost
Instead of discarding food waste, you can make your own compost to use it as plant manure.
12. Revive stale bread
If you find that your bread is slightly stale and has hardened, then you can sprinkle some water (over bread slices) or run some water (over a large hardened loaf of bread/bun) and reheat for a few minutes in the microwave or oven.
13. Review mushy strawberries
All you have to do is pop the mushy strawberries into a bucket of ice-cold water for 20 minutes and boom! They’re back to being bright red and perfectly juicy again.
14 . Use excess lemons to make lemon juice cubes In case you have lemons in excess, juice them and store the juice in ice cube trays for future use, instead of throwing the lemons away.