Separating waste at home is one of the quickest ways to cut what goes to landfill and save money. You don’t need special gear or a permit. A couple of labelled bins and a small routine will make a big difference.
Why bother? Separated waste is easier to recycle, compost, or turn into energy. That means less rubbish on the street, fewer blocked drains, and fewer costs for waste collectors. It also helps local recycling businesses get cleaner materials that actually get reused.
Pick 3 basic bins: organics, recyclables, and residuals. Use any containers you have — buckets, crates, or cheap plastic bins. Label them clearly so everyone in the house knows where things go.
Organics: put food scraps, fruit peels, tea leaves, and garden cuttings here. Avoid cooking oil unless you collect it separately for recycling. If you have space, start a small compost heap or a worm bin. Compost turns kitchen waste into soil for potted plants or a garden.
Recyclables: keep clean paper, cardboard, most plastics, glass bottles, and metal cans together. Rinse containers to avoid rotting food. Flatten cardboard to save space. If your local recycler asks for sorting by plastic type, follow their rules — but many places accept mixed recyclables.
Residuals: anything that is dirty, broken beyond repair, or not recyclable goes here. Think used nappies, greasy pizza boxes, and some types of sachets. Try to reduce what ends up here by buying less single-use items.
Start small. If three bins feels like too much, begin with organics and everything else. Add more categories once the habit sticks. Put a small bin under the sink for organics and a bigger one in the kitchen for recyclables.
Keep things dry and clean. Rinse jars and cans before putting them in the recyclable bin. Dry items keep pests away and make materials acceptable to buyers or recycling centres.
Cut down on packaging. Buy loose produce, refill where possible, and choose products with recyclable labels. A small change at the shop reduces waste at home.
Talk with neighbours and local traders. Many towns run collection drop-offs or buy-back schemes for plastic and metals. If enough people participate, you can set up a shared drop-off day or a simple collection rota.
Fix and reuse. Broken items often get thrown away quickly. See if a minor repair, a new button, or a creative reuse keeps the item in use longer. That reduces waste and saves money.
Start today and make it normal. Waste separation is a small habit that becomes part of daily life. Once it’s routine, you’ll notice less mess, lower costs, and more useful materials going back into the economy.
Kenya now requires all households to sort their trash with green, blue, and red bags to separate organic waste, recyclables, and hazardous materials. This system will be enforced with GPS-tracked trucks and modern recycling facilities, aiming to cut landfill use, boost recycling, and support global climate efforts.
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