Enormous amounts of garbage enters landfills each year. If you have to pay for your trash to be collected, you may be paying for what you toss away in a huge way. This is because some of the things people throw away are usable. Other things are recyclable. There are also ways you can use your waste to help the environment. The following three waste reduction recommendations can help you reduce the amount of waste that enters landfills, and you may end up earning some money in the process.

Repurpose

You may have some items in your possession that can be immediately used again. Examples of items that can be repurposed are clothing, furniture, functioning electronics, kitchenware, vehicles and books. Instead of throwing these items into the trash, you could opt to donate them to thrift stores or non-profit organizations. By doing so, you will reduce the amount of solid waste that enters landfills. You may also be able to get a tax deduction for your donations if you itemize on your taxes. Consider donating your old books and magazines to organizations such as schools or shelters. 

Compost

Instead of tossing your food scraps into the garbage can, you can use the biodegradable scraps as compost. By composting these items, you will be making a valuable contribution to the environment, and best of all, the contribution is free. Compost enriches soil, and it also allows for more efficient use of water. According to dosomething.org, if consumers composted their annual 21.5 million tons of wasted food, the effect on the environment would be equivalent to reducing the amount of greenhouse gas required to operate 2 million cars.

Earn Some Money

You likely know that recycling aluminum could yield some profit for you at metal scrap yard, but you may not be aware that metals such as copper could be found in some of your inoperable electronics. Old vehicles can also be a source of making money from metal recycling, and due to their weight, the profits earned could be considerable. If you do not have the time nor interest in recycling your own metal for profit, consider donating items to non-profit organizations that have metal recycling as one of their ways of generating revenue.

A waste management company like Oscar Disposal Ltd is the best resource to use if you are interested in recycling or other methods of waste reduction such as composting. These experts can guide you through the process of proper methods of waste reduction. For example, some waste management companies utilize certain colored recycle bins for specific types of waste.