More and more consumers are aware of climate change today and how the decisions they make can impact the environment. Despite the easy availability of cheap products, there has been a rise in the repair and reuse movement. This means that people are choosing to repair rather than replace items that can still be used. Sometimes, though, products reach the end of their life and can no longer be repaired. If you want to avoid the landfill, what can you do to dispose of these objects?
1. Electronic Waste
Disposing of old computers and other electronic waste comes with other concerns than just pollution. The hard drive of your computer has a lot of personal information on it that you want to be kept secure. There are environmentally friendly computer recycling companies that offer a hard drive shredding service. This will physically destroy the hard drive and keep it safe from hackers. The other computer components can be recycled.
2. Waste to Energy
Plastic is one of the major polluters in our waste system. So many of the products we use every day come in plastic bottles that will never decompose; instead, they break down into microparticles that enter our water and food systems. Companies are always looking for ways to reduce plastic waste. One disposal process is waste to energy. This process converts plastic waste into energy that can be used to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels while cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions. See if your municipality participates in waste to energy and how you can get involved.
3. Composting
Food waste is a major problem in our country. Millions of people go hungry every day while edible food is being thrown out into landfills, where they decompose and create harmful gases like methane. One way to combat food waste is to compost what is not consumed. Composting is something that every household can do. Compost is used as a fertilizer, completing the circle of food cultivation. If you are not interested in having a compost bin in your garden, there are companies that will collect your kitchen scraps.
When it comes time to dispose of an object you can no longer use, it takes effort to not just throw it in the trash for it to be picked up by the garbage truck. Once you find ways to cut back on needless waste, it’s easy to continue and to encourage others to join you in finding alternatives to the landfill.