Tiny home living is becoming more popular for a variety of reasons. Some people want to practice a more minimalist lifestyle, while others are eager to downsize. One of the big reasons for its popularity, however, is that living in a tiny house can be beneficial for the environment.
One study found that tiny home residents average about 45% less energy consumption than those who live in more traditional, regular-sized homes.
Even though tiny homes tend to use less energy, you might want to focus more on fully sustainable living, which requires focusing on a low or no-waste lifestyle. Thankfully, reducing waste in a tiny house is easier than you might think. Whether you’re struggling to cut back on your waste or you know you can do more, let’s cover a few tips you can use to live more sustainably, reduce your carbon footprint, and get closer to a waste-free lifestyle.
1. Focus on Food Waste
According to the USDA, 30-40% of our food supply is wasted. Food waste is caused by everything from supply chain issues to spoilage. In homes, however, spoilage is only half the problem. Maybe people are simply wasteful in the way they cook, the food they buy, and what is left on their plate after a meal.
The obvious concern about food waste is what it costs our country and how that food could be used to help hungry families in need. But, food waste also has an impact on the environment. It contributes to:
- Energy waste
- Water waste
- Methane gas production
- Climate change
Thankfully, reducing your food waste is easy with a few habitual changes and knowing how you can repurpose certain waste items. For example, did you know eggshells can be used to keep slugs and snails away from your plants? Just sprinkle some broken-up shells around the base. Banana peels and coffee grounds are also both wonderful for garden growth. Many food scraps can be composted and turned into fertilizer.
The easiest way to reduce your food waste is to cook more consciously, and “reuse” your food. If you have leftovers at the end of a meal, store them properly and eat them another time, or add them to another meal. With these simple changes, you can cut down on wasting your food immediately.
2. Part With Plastic
One of the best things you can do to cut back on waste is to stop purchasing single-use plastic. Over 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. Even more of it ends up in landfills. Things like plastic water bottles and straws can take over 450 years to decompose, so simply throwing them away after one use is extremely problematic and dangerous for the planet.
Unfortunately, single-use plastic is everywhere, as well as excessive plastic packaging. So, what can you do to cut back on it while still making necessary purchases? Keep the following tips in mind:
- Stop using plastic straws
- Invest in reusable grocery bags
- Purchase foods from bulk bins
- Reuse plastic containers for storage or shopping
Because our society is currently so reliant on plastic, there may be some items you can’t avoid. If you have to buy something wrapped or contained in plastic, make sure you’re recycling it properly instead of throwing it away.
3. Reuse and Repurpose
Sometimes, you might not want to throw something away, but it doesn’t qualify as an item that can be recycled. That doesn’t mean you can’t reuse or repurpose it in your own creative way. If you’re living in a tiny home with your family, repurposing items is a great way to get everyone involved in creating some fun projects together.
There are no limits to the things you can reuse and repurpose in your home, from pieces of furniture to decor items. Some repurposed belongings can even find “new life” if you choose to transform them. For example, consider taking an old, worn-out tire from your car and using it as a quirky flower planter in your front yard. Do you have an old tub or container? With a little bit of DIY knowledge, you can turn it into anything from an extra storage bin to an outdoor dog house.
Even if you aren’t able to come up with ways to reuse an item, someone else might be able to. Consider joining online trade or buy-and-sell groups. You can post things that you no longer need for others to buy or pick up. Textile waste makes up 5% of landfill space with 3.5 billion pounds of it thrown away each year. By selling or giving away your clothes and other household items, you’re reducing the impact of that waste and what it’s doing to the environment.
When it comes to reducing waste in your tiny house, the best thing you can do is be creative. Think consciously about the products you use and how they can either be reused, recycled, or given back to the planet in some way. When you develop a waste-conscious mindset, it will become easier each day to reduce your personal impact and live more sustainably.
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