How to Reduce Waste: 可持续性 Guide
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从苹果核到电器, copies of phone bills to the remains of last night’s carbonara, the contents of your trash are an ode to 浪费.
That said, there’s nothing poetic about 过度 浪费. 家庭垃圾, 有机厨余垃圾, 处理它们所需的废物管理系统是温室气体排放的一些主要原因.1
幸运的是，学习如何减少家里的浪费并不需要改变生活方式. It also doesn’t have to be overwhelming. 下面是一些实用的建议, 你可以让减少废物不再是一件苦差事，并朝着低浪费的生活方式迈进.
#1了解你的浪费
Reducing 浪费 starts with underst和ing it. No, 我们不是在谈论用你的废物进行治疗(尽管这可能有助于我们弄清楚为什么塑料不能移动)。.
We’re talking about underst和ing exactly what you’re discarding 和 为什么.
了解你的废物习惯可以让你成为你一直想成为的环保冠军.
知道你要扔掉什么
虽然我们倾向于认为废物是一团统一的不三不四和垃圾, the truth is that most household 浪费 fits into five distinct categories:2
- Non-recyclable, inorganic solids – Any refuse that’s in solid form 和 can’t be recycled. Non-recyclable plastics make up most of this kind of 浪费, but small household appliances also fit this description.
- 有机固体 – 从薯片到意大利面, Rocky Road ice cream to wilted lettuce, organic solid 浪费 means discarded foodstuffs. Organic solid 浪费 also includes some garden 浪费.
- 液体废物 – This type of 浪费 includes dirty household water, 雨水和径流, 和 organic liquids such as cooking grease.
- 可回收的固体 -这类废物包括各种形式的玻璃和陶瓷，罐头和金属，以及纸制品. Some plastics can also be recycled.
- 危险废物 – 危险废物 refers to 浪费 you 不 想要触摸. This type of 浪费 mainly includes toxic, 易燃, 和 corrosive materials; it also includes discarded household batteries.
Underst和 Why You’re Tossing It Away
知道你为什么要丢弃一些东西和知道你要扔掉什么一样有用.
Most people discard their 浪费 for the following reasons:
- Food expired before you could use it
- You bought more than you needed
- You 不 actually use the product
- 十大彩票网赌平台变得无法使用
一旦你知道大部分浪费背后的原因，你就能解决它了.
例如, if you discover you’re constantly tossing bread because of mold, 考虑买半条面包而不是整条面包，或者冷冻一部分面包. 这样，你可以在制作著名的意大利俱乐部三明治的同时减少食物浪费.
采取简单的步骤来减少浪费
Once you know exactly what you’re throwing away, you’ll be better equipped to take the necessary 浪费-reduction steps. 减少浪费的一个简单方法是使用和购买寿命较长的十大彩票网赌平台.
例如, if you’re wondering how to reduce plastic 浪费, consider purchasing refillable products rather than single-use items. 十大彩票网赌平台如ECOS 洗手液补充包 让你通过多次填充同一个瓶子来减少塑料的使用.
如果你发现你正在扔很多特定种类的垃圾——比如你在杂货店用来装蔬菜的塑料袋——考虑用更可持续的选择来代替它们. Like a stylish cloth bag for your produce instead. 塑料袋和其他杂货店的包装是你家里最常见的垃圾, but luckily there are reusable alternatives available.
#2在重新利用中找到目的
说到重复使用和重新利用，这不仅仅是可重复使用的袋子或水瓶. 重新利用旧物品不仅能减少浪费，还能让你展示自己的创造力和DIY能力.
但如果你不是那种在旧容器里看到花盆，在每个石匠罐子里看到魔法的人, 别担心. We have a few ideas to help you start.
让你的创造力(和浪费的智慧)通过尝试以下重新利用项目来流动:
- 寻找“旧”废物的新用途 在扔掉东西之前，先问问它是否还有别的用途. 例如, 你可以在梅森罐里装满面粉，放在食品储藏室里，在旧的餐具抽屉里种上鲜花. 你也可以把穿得太旧的t恤剪下来，用残片打扫房间. The amount of “浪费” you can repurpose is only limited by your creativity.
- 把节俭 -与其买新衣服，不如在当地的旧货店里寻找一些稍微穿过的衣服. 这样你就可以帮助减少全球浪费(也许还能买到一些复古的衣服，掀起一股全新的时尚潮流)。.
- 升级你的礼物 – Gifts are some of the easiest ways to get creative with reducing 浪费. Cleaned glass jars can hold homemade cookie mix, old CDs can be covered with fabric scraps to make custom coasters, 旧的贺卡可以剪成漂亮的DIY礼物标签.
Reducing 浪费 provides benefits all around. Not only are you making a huge impact on the environment, but you’re also getting creative with recycled material, 削减开支.
用堆肥粉碎废物
堆肥不仅仅是另一种扔掉食物垃圾的方式——它可以改善花园土壤的质量，减少垃圾填埋场的温室气体排放. Instead of overflowing your trash can with organic materials, composting allows you to put your 浪费 to good use.
简而言之，堆肥加速了有机物质的分解过程. 通过堆肥, 你可以把你的有机食品, rotting foodstuffs into the nutrient-dense, legendary fertilizer known as “black gold.” It’s an easy way to reduce 浪费 和 achieve an even more lush tomato garden.
Before discussing how to compost, 让我们深入(比喻)一下, of course) what you should 和 shouldn’t compost.
你能和不能堆肥的东西
Although all organic materials eventually decompose, you shouldn’t add 每一个 organic material to your compost pile.
在某种程度上, that’s because some organic products, 比如肉类和奶制品, smell terrible as they’re breaking down (just take our word for it). 与此同时, 脂肪含量高的十大彩票网赌平台, like cooking oils 和 salad dressings, 不会坏掉的.4
In general, the following organic products are safe to compost:
- 绿色 – “Green” compost materials primarily refer to foods, 但也可能包括草, 叶子, 和其他庭院垃圾. The best foods to compost include fruit 和 vegetable 浪费, 蛋壳, 咖啡渣, 还有茶叶, as these break down well 和 provide nutrients to the soil.
- 布朗 -所有有机的、不可食用的堆肥材料都属于“棕色”类别. These materials typically include dead 叶子, 纸板, 木屑和树皮, 松草, 和报纸. 在堆肥堆中添加棕色材料有助于平衡水分水平，加快堆肥过程.
While it’s important to add green 和 brown materials to your compost pile, you should never add the following:
- 鸡蛋或奶制品
- 肉
- 食用油
- 沙拉酱
- 鱼
- 化学物质
- 塑料
- 宠物不
原因很简单——当堆肥时，其中一些材料的气味比7月份的垃圾填埋场还难闻. 有些会吸引小动物，它们很乐意吃你的四道菜的肉骨头和培根油. Others could add toxic materials to your precious fertilizer. 所有这些都应该避免.
如何开始堆肥堆
Learning how to compost can be an excellent way to reduce 浪费 at home. Although composting isn’t the hardest thing to master, 适当的堆肥可能意味着“黑金”和房主协会的一封信之间的区别.
Here’s how to get starting with composting:5
- 建造一个堆肥箱. 你可以用木头做一个堆肥箱，或者在塑料箱上钻孔. You can even purchase a ready-made compost bin. Whichever route you choose, make sure your bin allows some air flow.
- Place “brown” compostables like 纸板, 松草, 报纸, or a combination of these materials at the bottom of your compost bin. That way you won’t have to worry about liquids escaping from the bottom.
- Add your “green” 和 “brown” materials in roughly equal proportions. 如果你发现你的堆肥堆就像一个充满旧食物的蒸汽桑拿房, 添加更多的棕色材料. 相反, 如果你发现你的堆肥堆比撒哈拉沙漠的垃圾箱还干, 添加更多绿色材料.
- 每周用泥铲、手耙或其他园艺工具“搅拌”堆肥箱两次. 搅拌堆肥可以让空气进入堆肥堆，这是分解过程的关键部分.
- 大约六个月后，你就可以在花园或盆栽中使用堆肥了. Make sure your compost is totally broken down by feeling it. If it crumbles 和 smells like the richest dirt you’ve smelled in a while, 它已经准备好加入土壤了.
Setting up your compost pile correctly helps you reduce 浪费 和 create wonderful organic fertilizer. 这是双赢!
#4购买前三思
减少浪费的最好方法之一就是从一开始就避免制造浪费. 在你在网上商店点击“购买”或在商店从货架上拿东西之前, take a moment to ask yourself if you 真的 需要它. Waiting a few minutes before you buy, distracting yourself with another project for a while, 稍后再回过头来重新思考，购买可能只是你所拥有的减少对地球和钱包影响的最有力的工具.
用ECOS减少浪费
Reducing your 浪费 doesn’t happen overnight. As they say, all good things take time (especially good compost). 也就是说，你可以从今天开始采取一些简单的步骤，朝着减少浪费的生活方式迈进.
遵循以上建议, 你可以把浪费变成潜力，把潜在的浪费变成美丽的项目. 另一种更可持续的生活方式是购买零废物设施生产的十大彩票网赌平台, 像ECOS 可持续清洁十大彩票网赌平台 都是美国制造的.
不管你怎么选择.