Reduce Landfill Volume by Taking Extra Care of Your Stuff

Posted on Jul 26, 2015 in Sustainable Living & Sustainable Lifestyle by Matthew Speer 0 Comments

The increasing size of our landfills is baffling. Once items have reached the end of their lifespans, they’re thrown out without a second thought. Here are some startling facts around this issue:

The United States produces the most trash of all the countries in the world. Numerically, that equates to 5 percent of the world’s population creating 40 percent of the world’s waste — 1,609 pounds per individual per year! In New York, a landfill is overflowing with trash, the size of which is so large it can be seen from space.

While recycling is a great way to reduce landfill waste, there are also other preventive measures. Taking care of your possessions, so they last longer and don’t wear out, is a useful method of reducing waste. It’s a preemptive way to keep your items’ value and effectiveness. The following popular household items and accessories are ones that can last longer with a little extra care.

Reduce Landfill Volume: Tires

In the United States, each year 220 million car tires are discarded. There are a few easy extra measures to take in order to keep your tires in great shape and increase the longevity of their use. Keep your tires properly inflated by frequently checking their air pressure. Though visually checking them on a regular basis is simple way to stay aware of the inflation level, using a tire gauge will give you a better, more accurate reading.

Fill your tires with nitrogen rather than oxygen, to keep tires inflated longer. Nitrogen is less likely to seep through tire rubber, compared to oxygen. It will prevent premature wheel corrosion and tire aging because of its properties of internal moisture. It’s also safer to drive on.

Rotate your tires every 4,000-7,000 miles, or roughly every time you change your oil. This will keep wear even, as front tires wear faster than back tires.

Make Razors Last Longer

Seems like an odd thing to call out, but 2 billion razors are thrown away on a yearly basis, in America alone. There is a simple fix to this problem, which might seem trivial, but is actually very impactful. A few measures you can take to preserve the integrity of your razors include:

Rinse the blade in hot water with every couple of strokes
Clean and dry your blade after use
Pour rubbing alcohol on the blade to eliminate any remaining moisture
Store blade in a cool, dry place after it’s been cleaned
Keep it away from moisture so the blade stays sharp and doesn’t pick up any bacteria

Clothes

Clothing has a quick turn-over rate with trends changing so fast. So much money is spent on clothing replacement and repair, when just a little extra care could keep your clothes in great condition. Reduce the amount of discarded clothing.

To keep the fibers of your clothes intact, make sure your clothes are stored properly. To reduce fabric stretching or any sort of compromising of the material, make sure to hang clothes that should be hung and fold clothes that should be folded. For example, sweaters will last longer and keep their form if you fold them — wool tends to stretch when it’s hung. Flat-drying sweaters will also keep them in good shape. Also be aware of washing care and obey the laws of color separation. Put like colors in the same laundry load, so colors won’t bleed or fade. Hand wash new clothing that has a high level of dye.

If you are aware of how you’re treating your possessions and are knowledgeable about how to care for them, you can make a great difference in the environmental state of our planet and keep your stuff longer!