5 Impactful Ways to Reduce Garbage Disposal While Renovating
Post: May 12, 2022 / Post By : Admin
It’s exciting to give your home the facelift you’ve always wanted. However, renovations can also be drawn out and tiring, which may leave you feeling less than motivated to properly dispose of the construction and demolition debris.
Don’t let this discourage you from renovating, though. It’s helpful for the environment to update older homes with sustainable materials and renewable energy sources, like solar panels.
1) Keep Aside Items to Donate
Before taking anything out of your home, check if there are items you can donate or give away before hauling them to the landfill. Perhaps you have a friend who is looking for a donation of a certain item, or you can donate your old appliances to a good cause.
This can be anything from older furniture that’s been replaced to leftover paint. You can even plan to drop them off at a local charity yourself.
2) Use Paint That Is Low on VOC
VOC are volatile organic compounds that are emitted when solvents in paints and stains evaporate. They can be harmful to allergens, or even humans in high enough concentrations.
Painting over older paints can be especially troublesome, as the old layers can peel and fall off, leaving you with a patchy mess and more cleanup on your plate. To prevent this, make sure any paint you use is low VOC, which means they have less than 50 grams per liter.
3) Refinish Furniture
Another way to save time and money is to refinish furniture rather than tossing it into the recycling pile. This is especially true for antique furniture, which is more valuable if you’re willing to put in the extra work.
Even if you don’t have a lot of experience refinishing furniture, you will likely find a tutorial that’s easily accessible online. There are even paint colors you can buy that are designed to blend with the original color of your furniture.
4) Recycle Old Paints and Stains
If you can’t donate your old paints or stains, you can still recycle them by using a paint and stain recycler. These usually come in pods that you place the paint container in to dissolve the contents, leaving you with a clean, empty container.
You should check with your local government to make sure you’re following the proper recycling laws for your area.
5) Reduce Packaging
One of the most common materials being produced in massive amounts are plastics. If you’re finding yourself with a large amount of packaging materials, you may want to consider reducing it.
For example, you could use your own tote bags instead of buying plastic ones at the grocery store. When you’re ordering online, look into buying recycled packaging, or even reducing the number of things you order in the first place.
Finally, you can try to buy foods that don’t come in plastic, like produce. It may be a little bit more expensive, but you’ll be helping the planet and reducing your carbon footprint.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for ways to reduce the trash your home creates, renovating can be a great first step. There are tons of ways to reduce your trash and create a better home for yourself and the planet.
For a clean sweep of your properties, Litterbug does the job efficiently. We are a garbage dump service that can easily get rid of unwanted waste and help you be more eco-friendly. Get in touch with us today to learn more.