Creating a culture of waste separation: Practical steps for households

WELCOME back to the grind and cheers to a kinder 2026.

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As December fever caught us, many of us slipped seamlessly into familiar rituals: deciding who is hosting, delegating food purchases, planning menus, preparing game-day logistics, and coordinating family gatherings. These moments are about joy, connection, and celebration.But here is a question worth sitting with: While we were planning the fun, were we intentional about how we separated and disposed of our waste at home? Not just whether the bin was taken out, but whether food waste was separated, recyclables cleaned and sorted, and residual waste truly minimised.

If the honest answer is “not really,” then that’s not a failure. It’s a signal. It tells us that waste separation and conscious disposal are still not muscle memory. They are not yet embedded as everyday culture in our homes, workplaces, and social spaces. And when something is not yet cultural, it requires constant reminders, ongoing conversations, and most importantly, lived demonstrations.

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