Once a week we do something that gets that unwanted stuff out of our lives for good. We drag our large trashcan and recycling bins down to the end of the driveway. In the morning, the waste is gone and we have moved on with our lives.

But did you know that many ways in which we dispose of our waste can be harmful to the air (and essentially our health)?

Two of these ways can be controlled from home: reducing food waste and proper disposal of non-food waste.

Food Waste

The Problem

According to a report from Market Watch, Americans throw away 160 billion pounds of food a year. That is about 40% of the food produced in the country.

There are some harmful effects of this large number:

• Decaying food in landfills quickly emit methane. Due to its ability to absorb a large amount of energy, methane is a major component to climate change.
• The energy, water, and land used to plant, grow, and transport the food wasted is also essentially wasted.

Solutions You Can Do at Home

• Meal plan- know what you need to buy for the week and buy only that food
• Buy imperfect produce- it doesn’t have to be beautiful to buy. Purchase food that looks like it needs eaten in the next day or two to prevent the store from throwing it out.
• Know your labels- “sell by,” “use by,” or “best before” are voluntary, unregulated dates determined by the manufacturer in regards to quality or flavor of the product. Most items are still safe to eat for an amount of time after that date.
• Compost- proper composting prevents organic material from releasing methane during time in the landfill. This article from the EPA is a valuable resource on composting.

Open Burning Trash at Home

It might seem convenient to throw food and trash in to your campfire or backyard firepit, but the fumes can be dangerous to your health and the air quality. In fact, it is illegal to burn garbage (including food, rubber, and plastics) in Ohio.

The Problem

According to the MIT School of Engineering, burning plastic can release harmful chemicals such as hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, and dioxins that can be harmful when breathed by any animal, from humans to animals elsewhere in the food chain.

Solutions You Can Do at Home

• Reduce the use of plastic and other waste at home. For more information, see our blog: "Continuing Plastic Free July" and "Reducing Waste: Buying Bulk."
• Recycle! Remember, only plastics with a 1 or 2 marking can be recycled.