English 
Nederlands 
If you have heard of something called the “waste hierarchy,” then you may be wondering what that means. It is the order of priority of actions to be taken to reduce the amount of waste. It consists of the 3 R’s:
- Reduce
- Reuse
- Recycle
By refusing to buy items that you don’t need, reusing items more than once and disposing the items that are no longer in use at appropriate recycling centers, you can contribute towards a healthier planet.
Today we are going deeper in the first R
Tip for today
Reduce waste in your household
21 ways to reduce waste
- Print on both sides of the paper or go for a paperless office.
- Use single-printed paper as scrap paper.
- Opt out of paper mailings, bills, ads, junk mail
- Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.
- Use reusable rags or old cloths instead of paper towels.
- Avoid using disposable plates, spoons, glass, cups.
- Avoid buying items that are over-packaged with foil, paper, and plastic..
- Buy durable goods that have an extended warranty.
- Use refillable pens instead of buying too many.
- Use reusable shopping bags (store them in your car)
- Say no to bottled water.
- Go straw-less.
- Plan your meals ahead and buy everything in advance.
- Plan for an ‘eat all leftover’s’ day.
- Buy in bulk or at the counter, bring your own containers.
- Only shop a couple times a year to avoid compulsive buys.
- Shop the farmer’s market: they’ll take the egg carton and the berries baskets back for reuse. Your veggies will also most likely be free of plastic and stickers there too.
- Use baking soda for multi-purposes.
- Use a reusable make-up remover instead of cotton pads.
- Switch out plastic razors for reusable safety razors.
- Compost your leftovers and use our zero waste food tips.