How are entrepreneurs solving environmental problems?
Today just about every product produced uses recycled or natural materials. Innovative entrepreneurs are re-engineering plastic waste into fantastic solutions, from bricks that are stronger than concrete to eco-friendly clothes and accessories made from recycled plastic. So how does recycling food & plastic waste produce cheaper recycled plastic?
Entrepreneurs focus on upcycling plastic waste, resulting in diverting it from landfills and keeping it out of the environment.
What are companies doing to reduce plastic waste?
The products produced by large corporations create an enormous amount of waste that has impacted our planet. They have realized it, but unfortunately, this should have happened decades ago.
To appease people these corporations have recently, and mainly to silence the negative publicity caused by the pollution they have helped create. The internet & smartphone has made it easy for worldwide news to be accessed in seconds. This has forced or pushed them to relook at the way their waste is managed and disposed of.
Multinational corporations are now focusing on recycling. Global brands such as Nestlé and Coca-cola have realized the importance of reducing waste started producing bottles and packaging made from 100% recyclable materials.
With large corporations now getting behind the fight against pollution and waste, newer ways of producing and creating materials are being developed.
Graphene, a material stronger than steel, can also be produced from plastic waste at cheaper rates than it takes to landfill it. Graphene can be used in just about any industry, from transport, medicine, electronics, and more.
Finding ways for us to improve our recycling food & plastic waste helps large companies lower the cost of raw materials they require too.
How can households help make recycling better?
As a consumer, the buyer and user of different products, you are the primary waste producers. 
When you recycle effectively, you help lower the cleaning and separating costs of other materials at recycling facilities.
The cleaner & contamination-free waste households provide to their local (MRF) materials recycling facility. The easier it is to produce cheaper raw materials used to produce commodities.
Simply rinsing out containers, removing any food from them. Can make a huge difference. Changing our behaviour helps us separate better & improves the circular economy cycle. Our present mindset is those recycling facilities are responsible for separating recyclables and food waste we dispose of at home. We pay taxes for it. Why should I pay extra water bills to wash & clean it.
This cannot keep happening; we need to shift the way we think if we are really trying to help the environment, reduce pollution, and fight climate change. Only when we work together, as one system, will we see the improvements in recycling rates we want and talk about.
Many small local companies around you repurpose waste materials and transform them into new products. Your waste could tile your floor, become a chair in your home or backyard. Or a beacon of entrepreneurship and innovative thinking as he carries a backpack made from your own recycled trash.
Separating cardboard, different types of plastics- toys, bottles & electronics etc. Saves these startups cleaning time & cost. They can also pick out only the materials they work with that are best for their system and their product. You can be a part of helping multiple startups succeed.
Place hanging bag adhere.
Easy Ways to Reduce Waste At Home
We talk about how you who produce the scrap can reduce waste at home. You will learn about the steps we can take. What’s the good, the bad & the ugly side, the difficulty and strain going green can be.
I consider myself an inventor and will offer my solution too. to make your recycling food plastic waste easier than you have done before. You may already have most of the Items or find them at a $ dollar store can, supermarket or online
Here are the regularly mentioned options-That we know about and how a mixture of behaviours really execute change while learning,
How to managing waste at home Without any hassle & mess-free.
and here’s the best part in these challenging times better curbside recycling actually helps create jobs-
Recycling companies’ wages begin at approx $20 per hour and offer healthcare benefits.
Purchase minimally packaged products
Can buying minimally packaged food help the environment?
It’s as simple as it sounds. Getting your food directly from local farmer’s markets, as the expression goes straight off the cart. This prevents any plastic wraps or non required coverings that protect it during long transport. So there’s nothing for you to throw out except plate and table scraps. It’s a good way to reduce recycling food plastic waste at the same time.
Health-wise, you gain too, as your food is fresh and unfrozen as it’s often done on its journey to your table. That’s why big-box stores charge a premium for local organic produce.
A great often unmentioned way is to buy in bulk. Combine your purchases for friends and family, even help out a neighbour or additional nearby households. It’s a great cost saver too.
But it’s not accessible to all. City or large town dwellers may have a few stores available. In crowded cities, the travelling time, even over short distances to obtain unwrapped food and produce, often don’t make it worthwhile. After all, time and convenience are huge factors. They are also really not as cheap as the big box stores that have products shipped to them.
Repurpose materials
There are many ways to repurpose materials. Turn something old into something new. An example is turning old worn-out T-shirts into shopping bags. You can do good & give to old or unused items and products to charity. You can also separate different types of trash for businesses to collect the repurpose into new recycled products. The possibilities are endless, and Facebook groups are where you will find great ways and suggestions.
Reuse Your containers
Using reusable containers is an easy way to prevent unwanted packaging from getting into the environment. Reusing long-lasting items for their possible lifespan makes it sustainable. Often steel, ceramic and glass are considered sustainable because they are durable, strong or tough.
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How to use reusable kitchen counter products to prevent waste.
The hiccup with this plan is its straightforward solution because just about every household has done this for generations. Still, the real problem here is that it makes no difference in the broad picture because these containers that sit on our kitchen counters and spice racks are off a small size. When we buy small packet condiments to fill them, those packets go in the trash unless cleaned to be appropriately recycled. Buying at bulk stores are package-free shops that you take your containers to refill, which are a great option. But it’s not for everyone, as time and convenience have always been an issue.
Reusable items Vs their plastic counterparts
Plastic vs reusable water bottles that debate goes on. How often have you needed multiple bottles at events or a party? Both have their uses. For short solo trips and activities like running, jogging or going for a drive they work. But imagine standing in line at a festival to fill up your water container, it all depends on the situation. It’s the same story for plastic vs reusable options for produce, grocery, and shopping bags. These are a few products we have already incorporated into our lives to some degree.
Reusable diapers and straws, bamboo toothbrushes, and other natural products are changes that go towards a significant difference. But often, it’s not for everyone, and we have to respect and value all views and voices, even though they differ. After all, that’s what a free society does.
During the pandemic, PPE has taken over our lives. Having a reusable face mask is another way to help prevent additional pollution.
Stop buying
It’s hard, literally everywhere you look, from your screens to on the road, everyone is selling something that’s tailored by experts to induce parting with your funds. Often these items serve some emotional or physical need within us. It’s you who makes the call.
Meal planning
Planning your meals is the best way of reducing food waste. Eat, and buy according to your needs. Sounds good but often we walk around picking items, like bites, snacks, quick fillers for those hunger pangs. Filling up the shopping cart to avoid repeated time-consuming trips to the store. But stores are designed to make you buy. Think about it; you do it for your business or place of work. It’s how we get money to buy more stuff—the circular economy cycle. In 2020 more people put on a chef’s hat at home, craving to duplicate their favourite dishes. This has lead to more food waste ending up in curbside green, garbage & recycling bins. So planning helps reduce wasted food and costs. It’s a good way to reduce recycling food plastic waste at the same time.
In Canada & The United States of America, food waste tossed in the garbage and recycling bins contaminate materials and fill up landfills. Meal planning does help lower the amount of food waste disposed of improperly.
Declutter your fridge-
When your fridge is packed full, you will end up with food going wrong because it’s being hidden. 
Buying only what you need prevents this. Place fresh produce behind the older groceries, fruits, and vegetables. It’s natural to pick out the first item in a fridge to eat or prepare. A note reminding you about leftovers & meal-prepped foods makes what gets eaten & planning easier. Thursdays leftover lasagna night, and plan accordingly.
Using Toronto’s curbside food waste audit as a broad example-
| single-family curbside edible & inedible food waste | 209 kgs |
| Edible waste–leftover & untouched food | 120 kgs |
| Inedible waste– meat & fish scraps, peels, etc | 89 kgs |
| Savable food in weight realistic range | 110 kgs |
To put that into perspective-Waste from a single-family 
| Vegetables & food waste discarded per year | 51 Kgs |
| Weight of hand baggage | 5 kgs |
| 2 international flight suitcases: weight limit 1 case 23 kgs | 46 kg |
| 200 resort guests carrying the same | 10200 kgs |
So as you see, there’s room for improvement. Plan your purchases well, share excess food before it goes wrong, or have extra off. Share the love.
Start composting
The volume of food ending up in landfills rather than being composted or be used to generate power is unbelievable. Fruits, vegetables, bread, meat & fish scraps are a valuable natural resource and need to be diverted.
-A great option is doing it yourself if possible. If you have the room start a compost pit or get a small composter if you don’t.
Today composting machines are compact and easily fit in building apartments, backyards and terraces. They allow you to turn your waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer comfortably at home. Some take work, some are easy to use, but there’s a price attached—no Affiliate Link
-City-provided Curbside composting programs dominate the landscape. Collection happens through the large trash cans with lids and wheels provided and the garbage trucks that pick up your trash. You pay for the service with your property taxes.
-Small local contractors provide food waste to compost collection services where there is none but a reoccurring price.
It’s a good way to reduce recycling food plastic waste at the same time.
How separation food waste helps recycle more plastic
As stated by stats, curbside food waste has ample room for improvement.
To keep it simple, I have lowered and actual numbers available. According to a 2018 EPA report.
- About 55 % of all food collected was landfilled.
- Biochemical processing, digestion, donation and other methods were at about 28%
- Combustion of food waste, and non-organic waste, was at about 10%.
- The composting rate was about only 4 %.
The more food kept out of recycling and trash bin the lower the contamination. This itself makes cleaning of excessive organic matter from recyclable items easier. This saves cost and produces a raw material that complies with the and above limit standards.
Why is there food waste in garbage & recycling bins?
Simply To improve diversion rates, making managing food waste easy for households is vital. To avoid cleaning a nasty smelling green bin or lack of one, food waste that could have been composted fill up landfills that will quickly bust at the seams. Governments made changes to divert more organics. An Improved curbside waste collection system can prevent food from going to landfills towards composting or other detour methods.
-In Toronto green bins, scraps CAN BE bagged in plastic bags; no particular plastic or compostable bag is demanded. The bags and organic waste are separated during processing at facilities.
-In 2019 Ottawa started allowing plastic bags in your green bin.
If 500 homes save just 1 pound of food waste weekly from landfills-
| Rescues 3.8 tons of waste from landfills per year | Saves about 7.8 Sedans volume of waste filling up landfills |
| Powers needs of 1.18 homes’ energy annually | 24,022 pounds of CO2 is saved from being produced in landfills |
Recycling food plastic waste working solutions you are not aware of
In 2024 most blue boxes or recycling bins will accept every type of recyclable item. Keeping food waste out of the blue bin is vital. Contamination rates are about 25 %, and gross and smelly food waste is mostly to blame. Today you will learn how recycling food plastic waste easily does not have to be a messy affair.
How to eliminate nasty smelling trash cans easily.
Does your bin stink every time you open the lid?
Do your bins stink up your garage?
Garbage odour control products with granules are great for absorbing and eliminating the bad smell. These Deodorizing products come in packs, sachet bags or stick or clip-on features. they also come in various scents. Hang a few near or cling on to your trash can lid. They are easy to use.
check out available options on amazon
How to keep files, pests & maggots away
Natural eco-friendly products that you sprinkle or spray over the bin or scraps keep flies and pests away without harming or adding chemicals.
Diatomaceous Earth is a fantastic option. Sprinkle a little over the food waste or over your bags in your green bin to avoid odour buildup, flies and maggots.
Peppermint oils or liquids or sprays. You can always find excellent natural eco-friendly products online.
Ultra Sonic repellants. Larger scavengers attracted to the scent of rotting food may need different safe deterrents. Ultra Sonic repellants are a safe option but may annoy your pet as well raccoons, bear and birds.
Raccoons, bear and bird spikes are also used as a deterrent. You can set them out, to your needs. But if you have pets & and kids, remember your using them.
Trash can enclosure–There’s so many designs available to hide your bins while locking them safely away from pests. Still, the solution serves homes with more yard space predominately. And is not an option for everyone.
It’s a good way to help recycling food plastic waste without pests causing a nuisance.
Does anyone like cleaning trash cans?
Truth be told, I have not met a person who says they love it. Even professional cleaners take it as a dirty job, and there are germs too.
Why you should clean your trash cans?
Bacteria flourish in garbage bins- Salmonella, E. Coli, & Listeria. Caused by waste from eggs, poultry scraps or meat.
How to clean your outdoor trash can?
1:You do it yourself- get out your safety gear face masks, gloves, hose & cleaning detergents. A garden hose or pressure washer, a scrubber with a long handle etc.- Trash can cleaning Video– Youtube.
2: Pay Someone to do it- There are trash can cleaning services near you. They offer both a regular and one-time cleaning for a fee. They use hot water jets to clean your bins.
I recommend Using solution 3 or 4 after having your bin cleaned to maintain it, without paying extra.
3:Use large oversized bags– Most cities provide large trash cans and green bins in the size range of 50-96 gallons. They have wheels and lids. They lock in & prevent messy waste from touching your bin walls. But they are hard to expensive and rarely used to capacity.
Imagine disposing of 2 small 4 lb bags of waste per week & needing a large 50-96 gallon bag to do it. Only to prevent your trash can from getting dirty and having it be cleaned. That’s a waste. A more efficient solution would be-
4: BagEZ, Bag Holder- You get the benefits of large oversized bags. No dirty waste touches your trash cans. Everyday trash bags Hang securely in your bin. Use your container as you do, and get a clean can every time, without even getting off the couch. Keep a clean wheelie bin.
Here are a few videos of BagEZ in action.
| 1 | How to keep your green bins clean? Youtube video |
| 2 | How to improve recycling at home? Youtube video |
| 3 | How to divert food waste without a green bin? Youtube video |
| 4 | Want an indoor, outdoor or vehicle trash solution? Youtube video |
Any food waste diverted helps improve landfill lifespans, lower greenhouse gases and provide cleaner, cheaper recyclable raw materials, ready to be upcycled into new products. We believe our way shows you how curbside recycling food plastic waste can be so easy, that anyone can help make a difference without getting inconvenienced at all.
Following these simple steps can make life easier for homeowners, recyclers, and the environment.
We appreciate your views and comments.
