No Impact Challenge: Consumer Habits And Trash

Photo Credit: Flickr/coffee core

There is still time to sign up for the next No Impact Challenge starting on Sunday September 18th. Just go to www.noimpactproject.org to sign up so that you will receive more helpful tips and resources for making your week a succcess. If you aren't familiar, read my previous article about No Impact for a little background.

Days one and two have us analyzing our consumer habits and our contribution to the trash cycle. And believe me, these are big challenges for most. Let's take a look at what is being asked of us and see if there is anyway to make the task less daunting:

Consuming - Could you go for a whole week without buying anything?  Besides food, that is (and we will get to that one in a few days).  I think you can.  Think about a typical week in your household. How many times do you head out for supplies? Not to the grocery store, but to the hardware store, or the drug store, or the mall. What would you normally buy this week? Are there items you can do without for the week? How can we get around the shopping habit for this week? No, it doesn't mean stock up on everything before the challenge starts. In fact, it is more of a challenge to see how we can live without the things we think we need.

If there are things you really feel you need, can you buy these items second hand? Can you trade someone for the item you need? Sign up for freecycle in your neighborhood to see what you can trade for free with your neighbors. And wouldn't you know, if you are shopping less and meeting new neighbors, you are decreasing your consumerism while increasing your social connections. That's pretty cool!

If you find that you just absolutely need something and can't find what you are looking for in any of these ways, please make sure you buy what you need from socially and environmentally responsible companies.

Trash - Some might find this to be the yucky part. Before you can figure out how to cut back on trash, you need to figure out what you put in the trash. Yes, you will have a better understanding of this if you go through your garbage. Save your garbage for a couple of days and look at what is in there. How much recycling and compost did you generate as opposed to landfill items?  How much of what is in your bin was useful for less than 10 minutes? How much of it did you use for more than 10 minutes? Did you really think that these things would end up in the garbage when you bought them? Was it worth it?

So, how to cut back on trash? Part of the job will be done for you since you will be shopping less. But you are still buying food. And you will likely run into refuse situations whether or not you buy anything new.  Look at your three categories and see what you can do differently.

Of the items that you recycled, are there ways to eliminate some from your routine?  When you are buying food, are there choices that have less packaging?  If you have plastic containers, can you reuse them a few times for leftovers?  Better yet, can you reuse those containers to buy something else?  How about drinking tap water instead of bottled drinks?  Buying bulk food instead of packaged food?

Of the items you composted, are there some that could have been used for something else?  Vegetable scraps can make vegetable stock.  Fruit that is on the verge of going bad can be frozen for smoothies later.  Freckled bananas can go in the freezer for banana bread.  Stale bread can be used for breadcrumbs.  Could you have planned to take your leftovers for lunch instead of leaving them in the fridge?  Be creative before you throw food in the bin. 

Of the items you put in your landfill, are there ways you could have eliminated the waste?  Can you eliminate purchases that aren’t packaged in recyclable materials?  Can you cut back on take-out food orders?  Can you use multiple-use items instead of single-use?  Can you find another way to use the item before it goes to the landfill?

There are many ways you can cut down on all of these categories.  But the key is thinking about the garbage well before you decide which bin it goes in, also be mindful of where it will go as you are accepting the item into your life - at the time of purchase.  With everything you bring into your home, keep in mind how long it will be with you and where it will go when you are done with it.  Packaging and all. 

Eco Home Consultations provides green living consultation services to households in the Seattle area.  Learn more at www.ecohomeconsults.com or email questions about this blog or other green living issues to Melissa@ecohomeconsults.com.