4 steps to organising your household waste & recycling

Do you remember the days when we had one rubbish bin for all our household waste?

We now know that sending all our waste to landfill is not sustainable. We are more mindful of separating our waste to minimise our impact on the environment.

However, managing this waste can be overwhelming and can take up a lot of space. Firstly, there’s your general rubbish that the council collects. And then there’s the drawer full of batteries waiting to be dropped off for recycling (but you always forget about). Not to mention the stash of unwanted items squeezed into a cupboard waiting to be donated or sold.

Well, the good news is that it doesn’t have to be confusing or an eye-sore. With a bit of thought and planning, you can create a system that is easy to manage and also contributes to a better future for our planet.

I’m going to take you through the 4 steps to organise your waste and recycling at home. When we’re done, you’ll know what, where and how to store your waste. And will have created a system that works for your family and lifestyle.

Are you ready?

Step 1 

Identify WHAT waste you have

The first step is to identify all of the different types of waste produced in your household. So, grab a pen and do a quick audit of what waste items you need to temporarily store in your home before they are either collected or you’re able to drop them off.

In addition to your general waste and mixed recycling, you may also have:

Have you got a list of all your waste items?

Excellent, let’s move on to step 2.

Step 2

Think about WHERE the best place to store these waste items is?

Now you have a list of all the waste streams in your home, you need to think about WHERE you will store them.

Store close to where the item is used

This makes it quick and easy to dispose of. For most of our waste this is in the kitchen. Think about what spaces are available in or near the kitchen that could be utilised for storing waste.

Store close to the exit for items you need to drop-off

It could be by the door or in the garage. You could also store items in your car, providing they’re not hazardous.

Where you have space

Walk around your home and identify any spaces that could be utilised. Is there a space under the stairs, or in the laundry where you could fit in a cupboard or storage containers?

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Step 4

Tell everyone about it & get them on board

Lastly, once you have set-up your system it’s important to take everyone in the family through it. Make sure everyone knows what, where and how to store your waste items.

Congratulations! You now have a well-planned solution for all your household waste management, tailored to your home and lifestyle. All systems need some tweaking, so see how it goes for a few weeks and make any adjustments that you need to.