So yesterday I posted a photo on Facebook of our jar of waste which we started on the 21st July.  Since then we have not put out a bag of rubbish for municipal collection, so we have not sent anything to landfill for 3 months!

If it can’t be reused, recycled or composted, then it goes into this jar. If I squish it down it is half empty.

Over the last few months I have really tried to be careful with the type of purchases I make, and quite a lot of our waste was from purchases I made before I decided to reduce our waste.  So it is just getting easier and easier.

I still have a lot of fails, like forgetting to say ‘no straw please’, before it is plonked in my drink!

We have not sent our recycling out for just over 3 weeks now. I wish I had noted the date so I could monitor that too, but the bin is nearly full, although there are a few things I have thought of uses for and will rescue them. Next time we take it all to our local SPCA, who collects recyclables, I am going to make a note of the date and keep an eye on my usage.  Because whilst we should recycle, we should first cut down on items that need recycling by refusing packaging and reusing items.

I promise my house does not look like a dump. If you think this is not achievable in your home, just try with one step, such as not accepting plastic shopping bags, then take it from there.  We can all make a difference!