After settling on the basic idea of producing no waste for 40 days, we started filling in the details, trying to answer all the "Yeah, but what about .....?" questions. One of the most frequent questions I've gotten is about recycling. Will it be allowed in the Trash Project? Jesse and I had a fair number of debates over this before settling on a compromise.
Now I'm no recycling expert (we can save the real recycling debate for later) but it seems that recycling isn't all it's cracked up to be. I have serious doubts about whether or not recycling pays off, both in terms of energy used and in reducing the extraction of virgin materials. Don't get me wrong, I think recycling is important and in my daily life I make every effort to recycle, but for the Trash Project things are a little different. At a basic level this project is about pursuing the goal of producing zero waste for 40 days. To do that, and really make sure nothing makes it to the landfill, we have to take a serious look at recycling.
The compromise:
Aaron - No recycling: Any recyclable trash that I produce and can't or won't reuse will be saved for the duration of the project. At the end, I'll weigh it before it goes in the recycling bin.
Jesse - Recycling: Because of her cooperative living situation, Jesse can't save her recycling. She'll make the same efforts to eliminate waste from her life, but she will recycle.
The two perspectives:
By allowing recycling, Jesse's experience may provide a more realistic view into reducing one's personal waste. For me, I am curious about what percentage of my waste after 40 days is recyclable. By trying to eliminate even recyclable products from my life I think I'll produce less waste overall. Why you ask? Many recyclable products come with non-recyclable parts that must be thrown away (lids, hygienic seals, etc.). We'll find out if I'm right on March 22nd when we both weigh-in.
Wednesday, January 30
Sunday, January 27
Now's the Time to Prep
Before February 6th, be sure to:
1. Get set up for composting.
2. Familiarize yourself with local recycling services. Be sure you know which # plastics are recyclable in your area. How about lids? Tin foil?
3. Bulk foods and products are going to help you through this. Be sure you have the appropriate re-usable containers to stock up on bulk goods!
4. Gather all products you use that have packaging you'd need to throw away within 40 days (toothpaste, deodorant, meds... basically anything that's part of your personal routine). Think hard about alternatives for these. Search your local health/natural foods store. Find out where you can get shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and detergents in bulk. There are shampoos and deodorants that come in solid form so they can be sold without packaging. You may be able to eliminate your use of some products altogether by thinking about alternatives like baking soda as toothpaste, and vinegar as a cleaning product.
5. Get set up with your "New Age Hippie's Urban Survival Kit" consisting of reusable containers, water bottles, coffee cups, cloth napkins, hankies ect. (See ecologicaldesign.blogspot.com.) Most of these things probably come with a bit of packaging initially, but once you've invested, you'll be waste free for the life of the product.
6. Think really hard about anything new you will absolutely need before March 22nd. (Software? School supplies? Seasonal needs?). Remember that most brand new products come with some sort of non-recyclable packaging.
7. Anticipate any special circumstances: Will you be traveling? Do you have pets? Any health concerns? Any big family celebrations or gift-giving events during Lent? Weddings? Will you be starting a new activity (class, sport, etc...)? Are you MOVING? (if so, good luck!) These circumstances tend to cause us to consume more than we do on a routine day, so think ahead.
And if you DO unwittingly end up with some trash (e.g. those pesky little plastic peel-offs that are often hiding under the lids of otherwise reusable containers...), you've gotta keep it! We're each keeping a bowl on our desk for any trash we get stuck with. We'll quantify it in the end.
Ready.... Set.... GO!
1. Get set up for composting.
2. Familiarize yourself with local recycling services. Be sure you know which # plastics are recyclable in your area. How about lids? Tin foil?
3. Bulk foods and products are going to help you through this. Be sure you have the appropriate re-usable containers to stock up on bulk goods!
4. Gather all products you use that have packaging you'd need to throw away within 40 days (toothpaste, deodorant, meds... basically anything that's part of your personal routine). Think hard about alternatives for these. Search your local health/natural foods store. Find out where you can get shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and detergents in bulk. There are shampoos and deodorants that come in solid form so they can be sold without packaging. You may be able to eliminate your use of some products altogether by thinking about alternatives like baking soda as toothpaste, and vinegar as a cleaning product.
5. Get set up with your "New Age Hippie's Urban Survival Kit" consisting of reusable containers, water bottles, coffee cups, cloth napkins, hankies ect. (See ecologicaldesign.blogspot.com.) Most of these things probably come with a bit of packaging initially, but once you've invested, you'll be waste free for the life of the product.6. Think really hard about anything new you will absolutely need before March 22nd. (Software? School supplies? Seasonal needs?). Remember that most brand new products come with some sort of non-recyclable packaging.
7. Anticipate any special circumstances: Will you be traveling? Do you have pets? Any health concerns? Any big family celebrations or gift-giving events during Lent? Weddings? Will you be starting a new activity (class, sport, etc...)? Are you MOVING? (if so, good luck!) These circumstances tend to cause us to consume more than we do on a routine day, so think ahead.
And if you DO unwittingly end up with some trash (e.g. those pesky little plastic peel-offs that are often hiding under the lids of otherwise reusable containers...), you've gotta keep it! We're each keeping a bowl on our desk for any trash we get stuck with. We'll quantify it in the end.
Ready.... Set.... GO!
What's Lent Got To Do With It?
Lent? We don't really know much about Lent to be quite honest, other than it has something to do with Jesus, Easter, and giving things up. About six months ago, we had a conversation about our collective future and the potential effect of individual action versus the challenges of an all-out paradigm shift, and, um, Lent.
Jesse: Hey, you know how people are always giving up stuff for Lent?
Aaron: Yeah, kinda...
Jesse: Well, I was thinking we should give something up, too. But instead of focusing on personal deprivation like giving up alcohol or sweets or smoking, we should get creative and think of something we could do for 40 days that can have a bigger impact.
Aaron: Like what?
Jesse: What if we gave up trash. What if we could go 40 days without putting a single thing in a trash can.
Aaron: I'm FOR it! Let's start a blog.
Lent starts on February 6th this year, and ends on March 22nd. It turns out they don't count Sundays in the 40 days, so really, we're talking 6.5 weeks of garbage-free existence. What a great opportunity to really get into the habit of composting and recycling, while also becoming really familiar with what products and practices can be enjoyed trash-free. There will certainly be some deprivation involved (we'll be missing our Clif Bars for sure), but the main idea is to try to develop some really good habits that can last long beyond March 22nd, 2008.
This blog will serve as a journal for us to log the triumphs and tribulations of living trash-free in this trash-laden world. We're anticipating a few awkward situations, some marked frustrations, and of course no shortage of laughs - or at least good stories! We invite you to join us in this effort to reduce our garbage footprints forever!
Jesse: Hey, you know how people are always giving up stuff for Lent?Aaron: Yeah, kinda...
Jesse: Well, I was thinking we should give something up, too. But instead of focusing on personal deprivation like giving up alcohol or sweets or smoking, we should get creative and think of something we could do for 40 days that can have a bigger impact.
Aaron: Like what?
Jesse: What if we gave up trash. What if we could go 40 days without putting a single thing in a trash can.
Aaron: I'm FOR it! Let's start a blog.
Lent starts on February 6th this year, and ends on March 22nd. It turns out they don't count Sundays in the 40 days, so really, we're talking 6.5 weeks of garbage-free existence. What a great opportunity to really get into the habit of composting and recycling, while also becoming really familiar with what products and practices can be enjoyed trash-free. There will certainly be some deprivation involved (we'll be missing our Clif Bars for sure), but the main idea is to try to develop some really good habits that can last long beyond March 22nd, 2008.
This blog will serve as a journal for us to log the triumphs and tribulations of living trash-free in this trash-laden world. We're anticipating a few awkward situations, some marked frustrations, and of course no shortage of laughs - or at least good stories! We invite you to join us in this effort to reduce our garbage footprints forever!
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