Imagine that if at grocery store person bagging your purchases left empty, unused spaces in each bag causing you to carry 10 instead of 5 bags out to your car then into your home. You would be investing some extra time, energy and space when it was unnecessary. Now transfer that thought to waste and recycling industry. Instead of filling a trash bag or bin with large empty spaces, we can all do some simple acts to help keep transportation costs down while reducing fossil fuel consumption and saving ourselves some time and money.

The flattening of boxes greatly increases space efficiency in a bin. This does not just apply to cardboard boxes, but also includes any paperboard (cereal or pet food) ones as well. Crushing cans before recycling is much more easily done if it is possible to remove both top and bottom lids first. Foil products are easily flattened by hand.

The kitchen, with all its appliances, gadgets and heat, is a real hotspot for potential energy saving. As oven uses most energy and creates a vast amount of heat while cooking foods, it is a good place to start.

For instance, when baking cookies use two trays. While one is in oven baking, other one is prepped with raw cookies – ready to replace tray in oven with no wasted heat and some time saved. When we bake bread we also fill oven with foil wrapped potatoes. The potatoes can be stored in fridge without foil and used throughout week in a myriad of recipes, or as a side dish. This method can be applied to a menu plan in that if you are baking one dish, try to include a side dish that is baked as well.