0WASTESPACE LIKES FOLLOWING ARCHIVE

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Antony Thompson
5 years ago
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Search 0wastespace 0WASTESPACE LIKES FOLLOWING ARCHIVE 4 Ways to go 0 I have been following Trash is for Tossers and Going Zero Waste for a few months now since I saw a Guardian article on Lauren

1 Search 0wastespace 0WASTESPACE LIKES FOLLOWING ARCHIVE 4 Ways to go 0 I have been following Trash is for Tossers and Going Zero Waste for a few months now since I saw a Guardian article on Lauren Singer and her mason jar full of trash from four years. I was so inspired. I started making some changes to my life- I started using reusable bags or none at all, I take only glass containers to carry food, I never use straws or plastic utensils and try to eat in restaurants rather than to go. I stopped eating meat to decrease my carbon footprint and recycle all of my recyclables. I compost all of my food scraps and have a garden to grow fresh produce so I don t have to use bags or contribute to greenhouse gasses by using gas to travel (I live in a rural area that s over 5 miles from the closest town so biking is a no go). Even after making all of these changes, I realized I still make a lot of trash in one day! Here s a pic of my rubbish from today-

By having to collect every piece of garbage, I was much more aware of what I was throwing away and it encouraged me to be as stingy as possible with my use.

2 By having to collect every piece of garbage, I was much more aware of what I was throwing away and it encouraged me to be as stingy as possible with my use. I was surprised that I could NOT recycle the vitamin bottle and the dry shampoo! I bought them thinking I would be able to and I was very disappointed when I wrong (see change #1). However, my food scraps were all vegetable based so they were composted along with the tea bag. I came in well under the average 4.5 lbs of garbage a person makes in one day. However, I know I can do better. Project Green Challenge and the lovely ladies trying to go zero waste have inspired me to go even further to reduce, reuse and recycle and there are four areas where I identified I could improve. 1. Stop buying items packaged in plastic first and buy recyclable second. This has always seemed impossible to me but this month I am challenging myself not to buy anything in packaged in plastic. This means I will have to shop secondhand even more than I do now and search out health food stores near me. My closest store is a Walmart and they rarely (if at all) have unpackaged items. 2. Carry reusable containers with me. I know that Lauren carries a little bag filled with utensils as well as her mason jar with her everywhere she goes. I need to start doing that because occasionally I will have to use a plastic cup or a to-go container, even though I recycle. If I carried

3 around the glass containers and a mason jar everywhere I went I would feel better about myself and my journey to go 0 waste.

4 3. Stop buying first-run. This year I have done really well shopping for anything I needed at thrift stores- I bought all of my back to school wardrobe from a Goodwill and a toaster from a local thrift store in my college town. However, I bought myself my halloween costume from Amazon when I could just as easily bought one from one of the thrift stores here or borrowed one from a friend. I also bought some jewelry that (I hate to admit) I don t need. Thrift stores have always been my goto but I can do better with avoiding gas-guzzling purchases from online stores. 4. Buy local. I mentioned this in the last point (major life change, haha) but I do some online shopping. Most of my grocery shopping, too, is done at big chain stores like Walmart and Albertson s, increasing my carbon footprint. I live in an area that doesn t encourage buying local but that s no excuse. There is a farmer s market in the next town that I am planning on visiting next Saturday to pick up some much needed veggies and fruits to supplement my college diet. I can use my new reusable bag from Baggu to carry them and fully align my shopping habits with my worldview.

6 I have made a lot of changes in the last year since discovering zero waste but I still have a long ways to go! These are some ways I am going to make changes in my life, let me know what you are doing to go 0! #trash is for tossers #zero waste #buzzfeed #projectgreenchallenge #pgc2016 #lauren singer #thriftshopping #mason jar #baggu

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