Author Topic: Eliminating Waste = $$$  (Read 6121 times)

philoneist

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Eliminating Waste = $$$
« on: March 08, 2013, 03:02:22 PM »
I started bringing my lunch to work with me about a year ago and I decided to get rid of ziploc bags too.

I usually would need 3 sandwich-sized bags every day as well as a bag to tote it in.
When I sat down and did the math, it really opened up a big picture:

52 wks * 5 days/wk = 260 Bag lunches
3 bags/lunch * 260 lunches = 780 bags/yr
780 bags/yr * 1.7g per bag = 1326g

approximately 3 lbs of plastic trash a year just from my lunches (JUST based on sandwich bags)

Then we bring the monetary side into it:

500 ct. Ziploc sandwich bags from Costco = $10
3 Reusable cloth sandwich bags from reusies.com = $15

@$0.02/ea per bag it will take about a year to break even.
From there, it's about $15/yr you're saving.

Not only that, BUT you're saving 3lbs/yr from being chucked into a landfill.

What about the lunch bag? Well, assuming that you're using a brown paper bag every day:

500 ct. Brown #4 Paper bags from Costco = $6.75
Reusable bag from UrbanOutfitters or Lululemon = $0 (just ask them for one.)

This has a much smaller return at about $3.35/year, BUT you're helping keep trash out of landfills.
I can't find any exact numbers, but we'll say @2g/ea = 1.15lbs/yr of paper trash.

I have been using my bags for over a year now and I expect them to last at least 5 years - $69 savings.
25 lbs of plastic NOT in the landfill.

Now, that is cool, but here is where we REALLY start seeing savings...

Paper towels. STOP USING THEM.

The number can vary a BUNCH, so for simplicity's sake we'll say, on average, we go through 1 roll/wk

A 6pk of paper towels at Costco.com = $9.29
@1/wk = $81/year

Now that number is easily doubled or tripled for a household with 3-5 people in it.

a 36 pack of microfiber cloths on Amazon = $22
[EDIT: full disclosure - I have a friend that lets me use their prime account for free shipping]

I bought these and use them for EVERYTHING. I clean them in the sink and I expect them to easily last 5 years:
Total Savings: $383
Also about 2.5 pounds of paper waste saved per year.

It may seem like a big change, but it's actually a cinch once you get started.
Microfiber cloths are also WAY more absorbent than even the best paper towels - messes are 10000% easier to clean with them.

These numbers are based on ONE person's usage habits.
With just those two steps, in 5 years, we have saved $459.75
And we have kept 25 lbs of plastic & 18.25 lbs of paper (at LEAST) out of landfills.
Let's not even get into the petroleum costs involved in production saved.

Imagine how much a family of four would save....
This was one of the easiest changes I made toward frugalizing my daily routine.

Of course, I simply based it off of numbers I got on Costco.com -- I'm sure with some extra effort, one could find cheaper items to change the numbers a little bit, but it's really about thinking about your environmental impact as well as saving.

Any other tips, comments or corrections are appreciated - The math was all quick & dirty.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2013, 03:26:54 PM by philoneist »

mustachecat

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Re: Eliminating Waste = $$$
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2013, 03:22:37 PM »
This is a really great way to think about things.

I'm embarrassed to admit this, but our grocery costs have really gone down over the past few months because I began to focus on food waste instead of retail savings. I would have never thought of myself as a wasteful person, but that was a lot of mental gating/kidding myself.

smalllife

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Re: Eliminating Waste = $$$
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2013, 04:04:47 PM »
I agree, microfiber cloths are the best!  You can usually find them cheaper in the auto section as opposed to the home section (they are having a swing in popularity and the resultant "green" pricing).  Buying in bulk online will probably do the same thing.


c

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Re: Eliminating Waste = $$$
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2013, 04:47:35 PM »
I have banned paper towels from the house. We're on a super strict budget and  my husband would sometime go through a roll in a day!

Watching waste has been a big saver for me too. It's shameful how much food I used to throw out and I wouldn't consider myself wasteful either, especially compared to many people I know.

I reuse freezer bags, not for the savings but I hate the waste and that they'll sit in a landfill. I read that people use Mason jars so I'm going to try those.

I bought a lunch bag two years ago that I still use, and I use tupperware to take my lunch stuff.

the fixer

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Re: Eliminating Waste = $$$
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2013, 05:03:04 PM »
Another one I like to do is save paper napkins from the times you do end up eating out. No, I'm not saying steal them from the dispensers. For instance, when you go to Subway they give you your sandwich in a little plastic bag and stuff it with napkins. Depending on who you get at the counter, you can end up with a ton of them, and I need at most one when I eat there. I keep the rest and put them in my napkin holder at home. I typically only use them in place of paper towels for small spills, so they last a long time.

For lunches, I use a freebie insulated lunch bag I got from an old job, and tupperware for the sandwich. I bring a real spoon from home for yogurt instead of wasting a plastic one from the work kitchen. As for durability, I've had the same tupperware for about 4-5 years now and it's just starting to fall apart (Rubbermaid Take-alongs). Cloth sandwich bags might hold up better over time.

Skyn_Flynt

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Re: Eliminating Waste = $$$
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2013, 09:29:33 PM »
I just took 5 years of Wal*Mart and grocery store plastic bags to the recycling bin. I had two pairs of kitchen cabinets completely stuffed with them. It does irritate me how the Wal*Mart cashiers will put in maybe 3 items per plastic bag... I have stood there and moved stuff around to consolidate before leaving.

I generally for the last year have been taking re-usable cloth sacks to the grocery store though to cut down on this problem.

crestheaven

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Re: Eliminating Waste = $$$
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2013, 12:47:15 PM »
When I shower, I place a bucket in the tub to collect the water I waste waiting for the warmer shower water to begin. I use this water to do my dishes in the kitchen.

oldtoyota

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Re: Eliminating Waste = $$$
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2013, 07:53:09 AM »
This is a really great way to think about things.

I'm embarrassed to admit this, but our grocery costs have really gone down over the past few months because I began to focus on food waste instead of retail savings. I would have never thought of myself as a wasteful person, but that was a lot of mental gating/kidding myself.

Same here. You are brave to admit it too.

aj_yooper

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Re: Eliminating Waste = $$$
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2013, 08:36:22 PM »
For years I carried a cooler filled with containers for my lunch, a reusable water bottle, and a cloth napkin.  My apple core or banana peals ended up in our home compost.  It was very easy to do.  If I didn't drink all my water, it went to our houseplants. 

Now Dr. Oz recommends silicone or glass containers for the food.