Blue Daisi Consulting<\/a> to give small businesses the tools and resources they need to reduce waste. Waste reduction is a great jumping off point into the wide world of sustainability and it can make us more aware of the countless ways we can be kinder to the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMy first step when working with my clients, and my suggestion for you, is to start with a trash audit. Before you take your trash outside, take a look inside the bin. Notice each individual item and take a moment to think about how it ended up there. When I think back to when I started my low waste journey, I noticed I was throwing away a lot of food waste. All those carrot tops, apple cores, and lettuce bottoms were stinking up my trash bin and then being piled into an even stinkier landfill. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 20% of the waste in landfills is food waste. As it attempts to break down in the landfill, it generates methane which is a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. These realizations led me to start diverting all my food waste from the landfill and composting it instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trash audits can be a very personal process as you start to gain a solid understanding of your purchasing and consumption habits. <\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Another way to achieve a similar result as a trash audit is to do an audit of your bank statements. Take a look at every thing you bought in the last month and make a note of the things that did not add value to your life. You will start to identify the things you can do without, and thus, create less waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you start to tackle your trash, you will notice the low-hanging fruit. It may even be the items that show up most frequently in your waste (or bank statement) audit. When creating waste-reducing systems that work for you, it will be important to consider your personal priorities. Some wise words from the tennis legend Arthur Ashe: \u201cStart where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.\u201d We will all have different challenges while making our lives more earth-friendly. It will depend on our individual circumstances and what resources we have access to. If you attempt to convince yourself that you will generate zero waste immediately after you start to venture into this lifestyle change, you will likely be disappointed. It is unfair pressure to place upon yourself because you are bound to have limited time and\/or financial resources to give to the cause. It is also an unreasonable expectation considering the products in our current economy tend to be designed to end up in the landfill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n