Enviromom, a blog I recently found, is hosting a challenge the month of July throw away less trash in a month then would fit in a standard 32 gallon trash can. Andy was willing to give it a try so starting next Monday (our regularly scheduled pick-up) we are going to clear out all the waste baskets and start fresh and see if we can make it through the month. We guessed that we fill a can an a half or so in a month and we feel pretty sure we can cut that down within the limits of the challenge. With the new baby and Andy being so busy with the school year ending we have been eating a bit more take-out and having coffee from the shop and so there is more trash then we would usually create. I think this challenge will help us be more mindful again. We compost kitchen scraps, use cloth diapers, cloth napkins, rags instead of paper towels and try to keep the packaging down but I know we can do better.
Our trash pick-up is weekly so we'll empty the can on Monday and not bring it out again for 4 more weeks. We will, however, send out the recycling every week because that really builds up quickly. If we were paying for our pick-up (which is included in our rent) we would hire PedalPeople which is a company that picks up trash and recycling by bicycle (and is actually cheaper than the trucking company). It is so inspiring seeing them riding down the road with the trailers - what a great vision of what we can do in the future to conserve resources. And, hey, they certainly don't need to pay for a gym membership with that job! They also empty the cans downtown which makes me very proud of my city for hiring them.
On the re-usable item front, I bought a thermos/mug at a local shop to keep iced coffee and tea in and it has been working fantastically. We make coffee at home a lot, but sometimes having an iced coffee made by one of the local roasters with the tiny ice while walking around town is just a great treat. I always felt guilt about the plastic cup and now I can have my coffee without the worry, and it stays cold for hours. Lovely.
1 comment:
Hello, I have been over reading the last posts on your blog, and you sound to me like a very nice person.
On the environmental front, I am trying to do my best to start a home plan now, though in my city is very difficult to get it social. So, we will try at home first (home grown vegetables in the rooftop, recycling paper at home, composting a little, and so on. It's not much, I know. But it makes the difference... I wish more people realize that we are so punishing our planet and ourselves for nothing else than greed and not caring.
Good for you to do this challenge!
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