Tips for reducing waste at home

by Greta~

Home is where the heart is. This definitely rings true when we're spending so much time there during this lockdown. We're forced to slow down, reflect, and reassess our priorities and goals – a good thing! There's never been a better time to reassess our waste around the house. Here are some great tips to help you do just that.

Get creative with your meals

Before leaving the house for that dreaded grocery run, have a look around your pantry and freezer for food items that you've totally forgotten about. Maybe you've got frozen peas sitting in the back of the freezer. Or perhaps you have some canned vegetables that have gone unnoticed in the back cupboard. It's time to get creative! You'd be surprised by what weird and wonderful dishes you can make with your forgotten long shelf-life food items.

Forget the Chux, use your clothes.

I mean clothes destined for the clothing bin or op shop! Simply cut them up in squares – I use 30cm x 30cm ones. They work a charm for cleaning surfaces or wiping down dust.

Save those paper bags and butcher's paper

Do you have compostable brown paper bags laying around after shopping at your favourite wholefoods store? These are great for storing white mushroom cups on your next grocery run, and wrapping up green vegetables in the fridge for longer shelf life.

Butcher's paper makes wonderful bin bottom liners that soak up moisture, amazing mirror cleaners that produce a satisfying streak-free shine, and is handy when packing parcels and disposing of broken glass from domestic mishaps.

Regrow your store-bought vegetables

Examples of vegetables that can be regrown at home:
- Green onions
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Celery
- Leeks

Simply cut 3-5cm long bottom parts (from the roots up), and place them in a cup of water until they take root. Transfer them into a well-draining, healthy potting mix, water them frequently and voila, you've just started your own home veggie garden!

Bulk-up

Buying your home necessities in bulk minimises packaging and plastic consumption. It's also cheaper, and more time efficient to buy in bulk. Alfalfa House is still open for your everyday household needs. Support your local, ethical business on your next run for grains, nuts, flour, eco-friendly cleaners, and much more!

Ten fun household facts

1. 'Typewriter' is the longest word that can be typed on one row of the keyboard.
2. Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil.
3. Almonds are part of the peach family.
4. Almonds and Peaches both belong to the Rose family (Rosacea)
5. In the 15th century, people made their mattresses from feathers, horsehair, or straw.
6. The word 'chair' comes from the Latin word 'cathedra' meaning to sit down.
7. A 'butt-load' is a real measure of weight.
8. Mother's Day was originally not a commercial event. It was started by Anna Jarvis in 1908 as Memorial Day to commemorate the time and sacrifice a mother makes for their children.
9. It's illegal to have a pet rabbit in Queensland.
10. Brass doorknobs can disinfect themselves. The metal ions in brass and copper are actually toxic to mould, bacteria & viruses.


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