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You are here: Home / Articles / 4 steps to organising your household waste & recycling

4 steps to organising your household waste & recycling

By Professional Organiser Sarah Deitz from Reclaim Your Space

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:

  • SOFT PLASTICS

    Soft plastics like plastic bags and packaging are generally not accepted as part of the councils mixed recycling. However, Redcycle have a nationwide scheme in partnership with Coles & Woolies where you can drop off your soft plastics. To find out more about what can be recycled check out the Redcycle FAQs page.

  • FOOD WASTE

    Food waste shouldn’t go to landfill as it produces methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Instead, some councils collect this as part of their organic FOGO waste. If this isn’t available where you are, setting up a composting system is a great solution.

    You’ll probably want to collect food scraps in a benchtop caddy like a Polder Benchtop Composter before transferring to your compost or FOGO.

  • HAZARDOUS WASTE

    Batteries, eWaste, fluorescent globes and chemicals are not recyclable in your mixed recycling and shouldn’t go to landfill. Check with your local council or https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/ for local drop-off points for these items.

    It’s important to store these items safely until you’re able to drop them off.

  • OTHER ITEMS

    You may have a return and earn scheme in your area that collects bottles and cans. Or maybe you collect stamps or bread tags or bottle tops for recycling initiatives in your area. And don’t forget that stash of items you no longer want waiting to be donated or sold.

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?

Step 3

HOW are you going to contain the waste?

After you have identified WHAT you need to store, and WHERE you’re going to store it. Now you can work out HOW to contain it.

Measure any spaces you have identified and pick a container suitable for the waste type.

Howards have a number of in-cupboard and free-standing waste sorting bins that are space efficient and look good too.

simplehuman 35L Pull Out Under Counter Recycler Bin

simplehuman 35L Pull-Out Recycler Bin

brabantia Sort & Go Bins

Joseph Joseph Totem Bins

READ THE ARTICLE

5 OF  HOWARDS BEST RECYCLING BINS

For items that you need to drop-off, think about containers that you can easily grab and take with you. How about using a lunch box or zippered travel pouch for batteries?

Click Clack Daily Lunch Box

Globite Travel Carry-On Approved Zippered Pouch

SmartStore Home

Plastic tubs and containers are great if you’ve got space to set up a recycling centre. Remember to choose containers that are portable for items you need to drop off.

Howards Flex Boxes

Super Seal Storage Boxes

Howards 12L Flex Tubs

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.

BIO

 

Hi, I’m Sarah, owner of Reclaim your space and member of the Institute of Professional Organisers (IOPO). I believe practical organisation and clever design can reduce the daily overwhelm and transform your house into a home that you love to spend time in. In fact, I know it can.

I’m also passionate about reducing eco-overwhelm and am on a mission to empower people to rethink their waste and be more mindful of what they bring into their homes.

Sarah Deitz

Reclaim your space

https://www.reclaimyourspace.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/RYSHomeOrganisation/

https://www.instagram.com/reclaim.yourspace/

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