Getting regular waste removal helps you keep your home clean and hazard-free. From product containers to organic scraps, families can create a surprising amount of trash, most of which ends up in landfills. If you’re worried about the amount of garbage your household is generating, there are some steps you can take to minimize your impact on the environment. To help you reduce your residential waste and become a smart consumer, here are a few tips.

Do:

Recycle.

Research your recycling service to learn what items they accept and how to package them for pick-up. Recycling keeps reusable products like cardboard, bottles, and cans out of landfills and ensures they’re repurposed to lengthen their lifespan and conserve natural resources.

Compost.

If you live in a home with a garden, you can use your food waste as fertilizer. Instead of letting eggshells, peels, skin, and other scraps sit in your trash, place them in a container in the freezer. Once the canister is full, take the scraps outside and add them to the ground around your plants. This will inject nutrients into the soil and improve the growth and appearance of your garden.

Don’t:

Forget to consider your purchases.

Reducing waste not only means changing the way your garbage is processed, but also how much you create. For example, when purchasing an item, consider its packaging, which will end up in a waste removal facility. Opt for products that have little to no packaging, such as fruits and vegetables without plastic wrap, containers, or cartons. To avoid boxes, bring your own reusable containers to the grocery store to buy grains, dried fruits, and pasta from bulk bins.

Skip reusable shopping bags.

Waste removal facilities are overrun with mounds of plastic bags that take hundreds of years to decompose. Even a quick trip to the market can result in several wasted plastic bags, so help reduce the amount of plastic in landfills by bringing reusable shopping bags with you. You can buy these at most supermarkets and grocery stores, and keep a few in your car to ensure you always have some on hand.

Those in need of waste removal in the Columbia, MO area should contact T-Mac Solid Waste & Roll-off Service, Inc. This family-owned and -operated company has over 30 years of experience with garbage collection, recycling pick-up, and waste disposal to ensure items are properly sorted. Visit their website for information on their residential and commercial offerings including roll-off containers and regular trash pick-up, or call (573) 814-2844 to talk to a representative.