Zero Waste at Home: Start With the Fridge and the Recycling Bin

Your peace is the product.

It is easy to hold your own bin up against the idea of zero and feel behind. We would rather start from where the waste actually comes from, because that tells you where a small change counts for the most.

Where the waste comes from

The US EPA reports that in 2018 the country generated 292.4 million tons of municipal solid waste, about 4.9 pounds per person per day. Of that, 32.1 percent was recycled or composted and about 50 percent, 146.1 million tons, went to landfills. Food was the largest single item at 63.1 million tons, or 21.6 percent of everything generated (EPA, National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling). EPA adds that about 68 percent of the wasted food generated that year, roughly 42.8 million tons, ended up in landfills or combustion facilities (EPA, Reducing Wasted Food at Home).

These are national totals for homes, businesses and institutions together, so they describe the country and not your kitchen. Even so, we read them as a clear pointer: food is the biggest item, and most of it is the kind of waste a household can influence. That makes the fridge a better place to begin than the shopping list of reusable products.

What we would do about food and recycling

EPA’s advice for wasted food is practical. Plan the week’s meals before you shop and check the fridge and cupboards first. Store produce properly, keep ethylene-producing fruit such as bananas, apples and tomatoes apart from other produce, and wait to wash berries until you eat them. Freeze bread, sliced fruit or meat you cannot eat in time, and learn the difference between sell-by, use-by, best-by and expiration dates.

For the recycling bin, EPA’s guidance is to check with your county, municipality or recycling provider, because rules vary by community, and not to put items in unless you know they are accepted. Plastic bags, electronics and textiles are usually not taken at the curb, and a resin code on a plastic item does not mean your area takes it. Containers should be empty and rinsed, since non-recyclable items can spoil a whole load and damage equipment. Batteries, paint, pesticides and some light bulbs count as household hazardous waste and need separate collection (EPA, Frequent Questions about Recycling).

Our takeaway: both fixes are about information and not about buying anything. A meal plan and your town’s own recycling list do more than most products on a zero-waste shelf, and your local program’s list always outranks any general advice.

The bottom line

Start with the fridge and the recycling bin. Plan this week’s meals against what you already have, then look up your local recycling list and tape it near the bin. Progress at your pace counts.