Low waste, or low-to-no waste, refers to a goal to minimize materials that reach our landfills and reduce waste at the source. The lifecycles of many products we use every day are not designed to allow for reuse. Single-use products are disposed in our landfills and can litter our ecosystems. Low-to-no waste living encourages us to be intentional about our daily consumption and consider how our decisions impact our planet.
Plastic Straws/Stirrers and Polystyrene Products Policy
On April 26, 2022, the Board of County Commissioners approved Resolution No. 2022-152, effective June 1, 2022, which restricts the purchase and use of plastic straws, plastic stirrers, and polystyrene products (i.e., plates, bowls, cups, containers, lids, trays, coolers, ice chests) on Broward County property. This resolution also prohibits the outdoor use and release of sky lanterns and confetti on Broward County property.
Tips for Low Waste Living
Refuse non-essential and single use items
Learn how to say no to single-use straws, utensils, bags (grocery and produce), bottles of water, balloons, and other “freebies” that you may not really need. Pledge to Skip the Straw and reduce the daily waste you may generate by using less plastic . This reduces the potential of these plastic items littering our parks, oceans, and waterways. Single-use plastics can also often harm our sea turtles and other local wildlife.
Reduce your consumption
Try to only purchase items that you need. Waste that never gets created doesn't need to be disposed of at a later date. Prevent food waste, make sure to prepare a shopping list and stick to it, matching your purchases to the reality of your week. If you are clothes shopping, intentionally commit to not support fast fashion. Although fast fashion clothing items are less expensive, they are often lower-quality and therefore do not last as long since they are primarily meant to cater to the latest trends. Tossing these items then contributes to landfill waste as a higher rate. Instead, aim to buy higher-quality clothing that will last beyond the newest fashion trend.
Choose reusables over disposables
Each individual creates about one ton of waste each year. How much of your waste is from disposable water bottles, containers, plates, cups, and utensils from take out? Start off your low-waste day by packing your beverage of choice and lunch in reusable bottles and coontainers. Remember to stash a set of reusable utensils and straws in your lunch bag and/or car so you can say “no thank you" to single-use plastics. Reduce packaging waste by checking out refill stations at local grocers and markets like this one in Little Haiti. These refill stations allow you to refill reusable containers with bulk food, home, and personal items.
Recycle what you can't refuse, reduce or reuse
The universal recycling symbol (three chasing arrows) on the bottom of your item does not automatically indicate whether it is recyclable or not. It is extremely important to understand your waste hauler's acceptable items list if you would like to recycle right. Wish-cycling, or putting items in the bin that you wish would be recyclable but are not accepted by your waste hauler, makes recycling more costly and leads to perfectly good recyclables being categorized as trash and ending up in a landfill as waste.
Compost organic materials
Decomposition of wasted food and other organics in landfills generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Proper composting significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions. It also creates a soil additive that can help store carbon and enrich our soil. Learn how you can compost your yard waste, kitchen scraps and paper products at home or start by focusing on your food scraps with a community composter like this one.
