Trash Talk- A Path to Greener Living
May 30th, 2008 categories: The Greener Side
I know most of us care about the planet and feel a responsibility to leave a better place for our children and theirs. If you’re like me, you are always thinking about how to be more efficient; biking when you can to save the auto trip, following everyone around the house turning off lights after them, bundling up in a sweater rather than turning on the heater or using the ceiling fans rather than the air conditioning. It’s become a habit for most of us to consider our impact on our environment. One thing that still gets to me each week is the amount of waste we produce as a family. Sure, we recycle everything we can but still our family of four (plus Max, our Black Lab and third son) fill two 33 gallon containers with trash headed for the nearest landfill. Can we do better? Here are a few ideas from ‘Green Living for Dummies‘ that may help;
- Buy Less
There’s a novel idea! I must admit I hadn’t thought of that. But consider all the stuff you bring home each week that isn’t really essential and that most likely, sooner than later, you’ll be figuring out how to dispose of. This is also a great way to get your children to abstain from the “new toy of the week” (or day). If your kids are like mine, they have more than they can use already. This of course goes for Mom and Dad too. Be aware of each thing you purchase and consider whether it’s the best use of your money, space and ultimately waste.
- Buy Better
So let’s assume you cannot live without that new pair of shoes. And you shouldn’t. Go ahead and indulge but consider the quality of what you are buying. Will it last, or after a month or two, will you be needing to dispose of it and replace it? While less expensive products might seem like a good deal at the time, if they don’t have a long enough life span, you waste much more money than you allegedly saved. You’ll find yourself back to the stores, not only replacing the cheap crap you just threw out but probably picking up some more that you don’t really need, you know, to get the most out of your trip to the store! Not to mention the environmental and humanitarian issues that are at stake when you buy products that are produced so cheaply. How do you think they save so much money producing them…
- Be Mindful of the Packaging
Be aware of the packaging included in the items that you buy, particularly if it’s not recyclable. Shop at stores that sell loose items or use refillable containers. An example of this is our local Jimbo’s, a grocery store offering organic foods and bulk items. We fill up on granola and yogurt covered pretzels, just to name a couple of treats, from the bulk dispensers. If you’re really thinking ahead, use the plastic bags from last weeks purchase of granola and yogurt covered pretzels this week. Dedicate a kitchen drawer to the storage of clean plastic bags that you can reuse (remember to always throw out any bags used for raw meat or other items can carry bacteria). When buying juice or water for your family, buy larger containers and send your little ones off with juice or water in reusable plastic bottles. Same with lunches- avoid the prepackaged cheese and crackers and opt for the Mom-packaged type. These small adjustments will not only save tons of waste, it will save you tons of money too! Also, it’s best to avoid aerosol cans whenever possible as they are not recyclable. Choose pump spray bottles instead. And of course, take your own reusable bags to the grocery store. Many stores sell them (or visit the next trade show that comes to town and load up on cloth shoulder bags for free! You’ll be doing a little advertising for the provider as well).
Here’s a few statistics to get you motivated in a Green way;
From Green Living for Dummies
“According to the U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA), more than 245 million tons of municipal solid waste is generated every year in the U. S. – that’s 4.5 pounds of solid waste for every person in the country, each and every day. That’s the most trash generation per capita of any country in the industrialized world. (Canada is second at 3.75 pounds).
The EPA reports that municipal waste included 34 percent paper, 13 percent yard trimmings, 12 percent plastics. The rest is a mix of metals, rubber, leather, textiles, glass, wood and other waste.
The good news is that of most of the municipal waste that’s generated, almost a third of it is recovered and recycled or composted. Just over half of it ends up in a landfill, while 14 percent is incinerated. The amount that’s recycled is significant, and in fact, the U.S. is one of the leading industrialized nations when it comes to recycling.”
Today we’ve dealt with mostly papers and plastics. Stay tuned for another post where we will dive head first into composting, figuratively speaking of course. Thanks for reading on and Stay Green!
