Home / Personal Waste Reduction
Taking action to reduce your waste can be confusing, but we're here to help!
We encourage reduction on all levels, from individuals to communities through awareness, education and programs. Reducing the waste we produce helps us to simplify, make more environmentally and socially-conscious decisions, make healthier choices for ourselves, and to build communities that are overall more sustainable.
Please browse our variety of resources and consider challenging yourself to live with less waste!
Remember the intentional 3-Rs:
The sequence of these actions isn't by accident:
How do we first and directly need to address waste?
By reducing it
What is the next best option?
By reusing what we can
What comes next?
Recycling it
Our last, last resort?
Landfilling it
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Use fat (like from bacon) for cooking
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Make broth from meat waste
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Make broth from vegetable waste
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Compost what you cannot reuse. Recycling Connections sells a Kitchen Katcher. SHOP ONLINE
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OR, contact local food scrap collectors such as Bucket Ruckus.
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Buy package-less food.
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Get fresh produce at your local Farmers Market or direct from Farmers. Find a listing of local farms and market in the Farm Fresh Atlas for your area.
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Buy foods in bulk at your community co-op or grocery store.
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Reuse jars or other containers to purchase bulk goods. Learn how to buy in bulk and shop for produce with reusable bags here.
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Purchase or make your own reusable bags for your produce or bulk dry foods.
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Recycling Connections sells three sizes of organic cotton bulk-goods bags. SHOP ONLINE
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Avoid plastic wrap with reusable beeswax wraps. Learn how to make your own here.
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Make your own dish soap to avoid packaging and chemical residues
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Get a reusable straw (the links below are only recommendations - feel free to search online)
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Metal straws LifeWithoutPlastic.com, Glass straws (Strawesome.com), or Bamboo straws (Strawfree.org)
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In the bathroom
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Various alternatives to disposable feminine hygiene products
- Menstrual cups
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Reusable pads
- Lunapads;; GladRags; Party Pants Pads (local to WI!)
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Don't forget to always recycle in the bathroom!
Remember you can recycle plastic film -
Purchase a recycled or bamboo toothbrush.
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This toothbrush is made from recycled products and can be recycled by sending it back to the company.
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This toothbrush is made from bamboo and is compostable. (NOTE: there are many varieties of compostable toothbrushes. This is a company I know and trust. Feel free to shop around.)
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Make your own hygiene products to avoid packaging waste, minimize miles traveled, and keep unknowns out of your body
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Angie's Method: I keep two 16oz cups in my bathroom. Before I go into the shower I mix up the following, one in each cup. Shampoo - 1/2 cup baking soda to 1 cup warm water / Conditioner - 2 cups warm water with 2-4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, optional couple drops of essential oils. Wet my hair, stir the baking soda into the water and pour the entire cup over my hair, massage into hair, let sit for 2-3 minutes (while you soap up) and then rinse fully from hair. Next pour the entire cup of ACV water onto hair. Massage around and let sit a minute or two. Rinse fully. Dry and style as you normally would.
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Karin's testimonial: Angie's method works great for color-treated hair AND for grey hair. I know because my hair color is often unpredictable :)
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Consider purchasing locally made cosmetic and body care products (try your local Co-op for handmade options and ingredients)
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Make your own bathroom cleaning agents
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Other suggestions here
In the laundry room
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Compost dryer lint (if materials are non-synthetic, i.e. cotton)
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Make or purchase your own wool dryer balls to avoid disposable sheets
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Avoid packaging and chemical residue of detergents by using soap nuts
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Make your own laundry detergent
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Shorten the laundry cycle and use cold water
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Consider a Coraball to help capture microplastic fibers in your wash loads
Inside the house
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Minimize water use as much as possible
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Unplug and minimize electronics
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Buy used whenever possible
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Inquire with family, friends, and neighbors before purchasing items brand new
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Salvage material for household needs
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Ask around your neighborhood or consider trying a Restore
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Outside the house
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Learn the basics of backyard composting
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Vermicomposting is a great way to compost year-round with worms
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Get DIY plastic tote bin designs here.
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For more information about managing organics and composting go to WDNR Composting Resources
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Rent or borrow work tools or lawn equipment whenever possible
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Collect rain water to feed plants inside and outside the house
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Use native plants suitable to your climate and area as much as possible when landscaping.
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Buy used items whenever possible
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Inquire with family, friends, and neighbors before purchasing items brand new
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Recycling Connections sells a backyard composter. SHOP ONLINE
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Around your community
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Help your community reduce the amount of wasted food through the Save The Food campaign
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Help educate your peers about recycling and waste reduction by promoting and sharing information via Recycle More Wisconsin
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Promote backyard composting through compost bin sales; RC can help you get started or provide direct services!
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Support state-wide initiatives in Wisconsin by joining Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin
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Learn more about programs and resources available at:
WASTE REDUCTION ADVOCATES
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Yourself, if you make it so!
What is your favorite way to live with less waste?
If you don't see it up here, let us know so we can add it to the list and continue sharing ways to minimize waste!
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Please note that the people, organizations, businesses, and products listed on our website are simply those we (staff of RCC) have found beneficial and practical enough to share with others for the ultimate goal of helping each other reduce waste and live more sustainable lives. This does not imply any formal endorsement or necessarily reflect the opinions of the board.