Skip to main content

Simple ways to reduce waste at home​

Household waste is a global problem, with one billion meals being wasted each day*. Even when you live frugally, there’s always waste at home, from packaging as well as food. Sorting recyclables and organising the fridge are two ways to help reduce waste – as well as making your home a little tidier.​

Garbage sorting from IKEA where a person has pulled out the boxes where you can see four different sorting boxes.

Tips for reducing food waste​

 

Plan, shop, cook and prep for the whole week​

You can save time by batch cooking and sorting, using freezer-to-oven containers to make leftovers as easy as possible. After all, doesn’t a meal just taste better when it’s already cooked?​

Make it clear to prioritise

​With transparent food containers you can easily see what to eat up first. To prolong freshness, you can arrange the fridge shelves based on the different temperature zones and how fast certain foods will spoil.​

See it, use it​

Storing your food in clear glass containers on open shelves makes it easy to see what you have. Saving you time when planning food, as well as reducing the chances of buying something you already have.​

Save some for later​

Get smart about storing your leftovers. Clear containers and jars let you see what you really have, while a portable and leak-proof lunch box can give you a cheap and tasty lunch on the go. ​

Clip it up and pop it in the freezer

​A sealing clip can help to reduce the amount of wasted food in your everyday life. It may seem small, but it’s a household superhero that makes it easier to save leftovers and keep food fresh for longer. ​

Make food go further​

Don’t bin excess fruit and vegetables – preserve them. Try making jams, pickles and chutneys and store them in glass jars. Also, vegetable peels are perfect for broths, soups and stews.​

Tips for sorting waste​

The image displays a tidy storage area with a wooden shelving unit on the left side, containing various items such as terracotta pots, a green watering can, and some cans of paint. In front of the shelving unit are two gray fabric bins with white outlines of a battery and a cardboard box printed on them, suggesting they are for recycling specific types of waste.

Get your waste sorting sorted​​

Sorting is easier if each type of recyclable material has a dedicated container – either freestanding or built into a larger solution. Less waste to landfill, and a tidier home to boot.​

Recycle in the bathroom​

For many, the bathroom is a difficult place to keep on top of. Gather up empty shower bottles, toilet paper rolls and toothpaste tubes, as soon as you finish them. More recycling means a tidier bathroom.​

Close-up of a person’s hands as they open a white drawer. Inside the drawer is a brown paper bag, and the person appears to be either placing or removing an item from the bag. The background is blurred, focusing attention on the action with the drawer and paper bag.

Recycle in every room​

Setting up a recycling solution in every room makes sense. The closer a bin is to where you are, the more likely you are to use it. Involve the whole family while you’re at it!​

Don’t throw it all away​

Waste isn’t always waste. Try growing seeds in old egg boxes or using newspaper as gift-wrap, for instance. Think outside the box, and think circular – how else could it be used?​

Tips for reducing plastic and single use​

Enjoy your favourite drink with your favourite mug – wherever you are​

A travel mug can be used as an infusion bottle with fruits, to make herbal beverages, cold-brewed coffee, or to brew your favourite tea on the go. Wash after use and it’s ready for the next time.

A stack of four clear, rectangular food storage containers with blue lids. From top to bottom, the containers are filled with green leafy vegetables, red cherries, green grapes, and yellow apricots. The containers are placed on a kitchen counter with a blurred background that suggests a home kitchen setting.

Store, wash and reuse​

Preparing a meal in advance, or need to put away leftovers in the fridge? By storing food in a container, or using a washable and reusable food cover, you can avoid using single-use plastic wrap or foil.​

Refill and reuse​

Instead of buying a new bottle of water every time you get thirsty, try carrying a reusable water bottle and refilling it through your day. A great way to reduce single-use waste and make the most of what you have.​

A sustainable everyday

A more sustainable way of life is achievable for us all. Discover how.

*According to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024, each person wastes an average of 79 kg annually - the equivalent of one billion meals in total.

Choices for change

Browse our range of products for a better everyday life.