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I am naive. Not in my nature, but in my relation to the entire world. I therefore write this to you with my limited knowledge of this much over-due topic. My descriptions will be general, and I implore you to research further, as this is a simple way in which to reduce personal waste from consumption.
Compost.
Compost is basically dirt. This nutrient-rich dirt is the waste of hungry, hungry microorganisms which live within organic matter. They require a certain environment to live, and perform this job. They need a certain temperature, humidity, and diet. For more of this info:
http://www.mansfieldct.org/Schools/MMS/compost/microbes.htm
http://www.composterconnection.com/site/ingredients.html
Now, how do ya compost? Let me breakitdown…
If you live in an area which reaches temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit sometime during the year, and have access to Earth’s dirt floor, you can make your own compost pile! There are also a variety of other ways to yard compost.
http://www.composting101.com/building-a-bin-article.html
http://www.composting101.com/compost-bins.html
If you live in an area which reaches temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and do not have access to a yard, search areas near your community in which you could begin composting. Ask friends and neighbors to compost with. Otherwise, many state counties provide composting and recycling facilities for public use. This is what I have been doing, but do note that Riley County Transfer Station charges $11 per drop-off of food waste. Gross. More info for the Manhattan, KS area:
http://www.riley.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=197
And if you are limited on space, something such as these may be doable.
http://smallnotebook.org/2008/04/06/how-to-make-a-worm-compost-bin/
http://www.naturemill.com/howItWorks.html
Now, what can ya compost?
Oh. My. Goodness. Almost EVERYTHING can be composted!!! Just remember – no glass, metal, plastic, or poo. And for denser matter like bone, only in commercial composting facilities. They reach the needed, much higher temperatures than any home composting.
http://life.gaiam.com/article/compost
Where do ya put it now, before ya compost it?
I’ve heard some call it a “compost bin.” But, that’s actually referring to the container in which the intended composting processes occur. This is the big bin usually outside the home. What we need is a “compost storage bin.” This is the intermediate container. This is usually a 5-gallon (or smaller) closed container which sits in the kitchen (where the majority of home compost material is produced). When it is time to empty, its contents are then transferred to the big “compost bin,” or “compost pile.” Isn’t language glorious?
There are so many links, and no pictures, and I do apologize. This was the big one for me. With my limited purchasing of packaged foods, I mainly rely on produce for convenience. This convenience produces food waste. In relation to recyclables, I produce alot of compost material. Isn’t that awesome?!
And ya know what’s more awesome? I don’t even have a picture to show you, because this week…
I DID NOT PRODUCE TRASH.
Do you wonder why? Do you wonder? I am always wondering. And sometimes, I am in wonder.
It’s little things for me. Like, going for a run without knowing the time. Or, waking up to the chatter of birds. Visiting home for a weekend is nice, too.
That’s what I did last weekend. It was very nice, and seems to have been much needed. I would pronounce to you my troubles as a college student, but they are truly not troubling. My perspectives on why I do some of the things I do is changing. This is more of what I wonder…
I am not rude. Or at least, I try not to be. Everything is culturally defined. And, I think this is one reason why we, as an American culture, to me, seem trashy. It’s not that we don’t care. I am a part of this “we,” and I do care. To me, it’s that we don’t wonder.
I wonder why this sort of packaging is being used. Even with Frito-Lay, which is producing biodegradable packaging! In 2010, they introduced the world’s first compostable chip bag with SunChips. This bag was very noisy to consumers, and was later pulled from shelves. An alternative bag was developed, which equals noise levels of other chip bags, but it is used to package only Original flavor SunChips.
And currently, this is all the information I am able to find. From viewing today’s stores’ snack shelves, I think all of those extra-crinkly chip bags are biodegradable, but I’m still unsure…
The other packaging pictured is from Wonka chocolate and Wheat Thins. There are other chocolate bars packaged entirely in paper and foil, which are recyclable. And for snack crackers, there are also others packaged entirely in paper. These are just a few common snack items which have less trashy alternatives.
I have all this packaging in my trash for this week because I love my mom. I went home last weekend, and when preparing to leave, she always goes through her kitchen and donates to me her unwanted groceries. I’m a poor college kid, and I couldn’t tell her no! That’s just rude, and I try not to be!
Some social situations are just trashy. And, this was one I couldn’t didn’t fight for…
And, this is Trashy.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2010-10-05-sunchips05_ST_N.htm
http://www.fritolay.com/our-planet/steps-to-a-healthier-planet.html
Be excited. This post contains two trashy webcam pictures.
For this week, this is the amount of trash I have created. I feel sad about it…because…this was completely my intention. I refuse to not wear contacts, and this plastic seal was from my purchase of saline solution. So anti-climactic, I know…
But, here we are! Tomorrow, we will be at the end my 30 day minimum for this trashy project of mine. It was phenomenal, but is surely not the end. For your joy (and mine even more) I will continue to post weekly for some unknown duration. This has been such a journey, such an adventure.
On this day of near nostalgia, let me provide you with an understanding. Of how, through all the days we live in a capitalistic and consumeristic society, we are pressured into consuming. We consume and this becomes trash. I’m not proclaiming that consumption is trashy. It’s just that the way in which our products are available to us is trashy. We consume and that becomes trashy.
I chose this idea as my project because I wanted to do something. I wanted to do something which I could do. I wanted to show people that it is possible to not be trashy. It is possible to not feel like trash. And for me, I do feel less trashy. I am, have been, and will continue to be, less trashy. The way we, as a society, package products needs to change. The way we position, all alone, trash bins, with no other form of disposal nearby, needs to change. We need to change. We need to change?
This is the amount of trash I have produced during my 30 days. What you are not seeing is the amount produced from products I purchased from before my 30 days. You are not seeing the amount I have recycled. You are not seeing the amount I have composted. And thank goodness, you are not seeing the amount of toilet paper I have used…
This all took planning. As I write this today from out-of-town, I had to plan my traveling. I had to plan to not stop for food or drink packaged in single-use materials. I had to plan to take my own container for composting. I had to plan for recycling. I had to plan for not being rude. Not everyone can do everything all the time. This is why I share with you my trash. This is less, and this is doable.
And this is still Trashy.
This is Day One. This is day one of breaking it down, of how I am drastically reducing the amount of waste I produce in my everyday life.
Let’s begin, again, with work. I work for a research program associated with the Biology department. This is where my trash for the past two weeks has come from. But, not any more. I have the best supervisors and they have given me the option to use a heavier pair of gloves which can be used multiple times. And yes, I say best, not just for brownie points (mmm, brownies), but because I believe it.
The best supervisors like to celebrate their workers’ birthdays, holidays, and other days with one of my favorite things. Food. Let’s describe the typical office celebration: There are people. There are chairs. There is sitting. There is standing. There is conversation. There is beverage. There is food. (Like brownies!) To avoid the disposable materials this food and beverage is usually served on, I have placed my own reusable bottle, bowl, plate, and silverware at the office. This way, unexpected or not, I will not make use of the disposables. I do want to note that the paper-based disposables can be composted, but I don’t expect most work places compost… When bringing my lunch, I pack everything in a reusable, washable, food-storage container. And, when eating somewhere else, I am careful of what I order, and never accept disposable, plastic straws.
Oh, no! My hands are messy from being gluttonous. Better go wash them. Step, step, step…wash, wash, wash…wait. No hand dryer – only paper towels. Again, compostable, but do I really want to stuff wet paper in my bag until I get home to my own compost bin? Nope. This is why I have brought my own hand towel from home to work. Or, you can try this next part with me…
You are standing near the sink from just washing your hands. Put both your arms down, with your hands at your sides, some distance away from the rest of your body. Now alternate your hands from in front of your body, to behind your body, as fast as you can. This should be, to some lesser effect, close to that of a hand dryer. I call it the “Hand Dance.” You’re welcome.
This dance can also be fun at home! Yep, you got it, I’m again transitioning to the potty-room. But this time, let’s discuss it in the aspect of getting ready for each of my adventurous days. I usually start them by waking. I then shower. Shampoo, conditioner, face wash, body wash – they all come in plastic bottles. I have discovered most of them to be recyclable. But, I do know there are more organic cleansers and soaps which contain paper-based packaging or no packaging. I am again putting the link to Beth Terry’s “Plastic-Free Living Guide” below. This topic begins at number 41 on her list, and is a must-read.
Most hygienic products are packaged in recyclable bottles. Unfortunately, many also have a non-recyclable plastic seal around their opening, or the package is surrounded with stretches of non-recyclable plastic. I have many of these products to use up before trying other alternatives, so I don’t know if I’ll ever get a convenient chance to tell you about any changes I’ll be making. I definitely will be attempting many of the suggestions from the “Plastic-Free Living Guide” when the times come. For now, I will mention one area I am not changing. Contact lenses. I am near-sighted, and as much as I do love my glasses, I don’t like wearing them every day, especially when exercising. Am I a quitter already? I like to think not; contact lenses are a phenomenal invention, and one of those which requires sterility to produce and use.
I’m picking my battles. You’ll see the outcomes. Eyesight is a loss.
This is Trashy.
I work.
I work for a research program extended from the Biology department. Rather than boring you with any details, I’ll just give you the short version. I do science.
Well, I kind of do science. I’m more like another pair of hands to help with all of the plant and water samples we collect and sort, along with cleaning various laboratory materials. The latter is where I have failed this week. This is Trashy.
This is the amount of trash I have created this week that wasn’t from products from before I started this project. IknowIknowIknow, but I wanted to show you what I am doing, not what I did do… Anyway, what you are seeing are three pairs of single-use laboratory gloves. I wear them to protect my hands from strong acids while cleaning various laboratory vials and what-nots. Even though I didn’t purchase them, I had direct contact in using them, and am therefore including them as part of my trash. To me, they seem unavoidable, as this is a part of my job.
And this brings us to my first point: businesses. I am sure there are many regulatory rules and possibly laws which I am uneducated about involving certain procedures of cleanliness, or in my case, strict sterility. My thoughts may be hinting towards major food companies and manufacturers of materials which require precision to operate. These would include your staple restaurants and fields of science, both of which I speak from. My past work experience includes a solid five years with the restaurant industry. During that time, I have tossed so many “trash” bags into dumpsters, all mostly containing food waste, packaging, and single-use restroom materials.
And here we go, to point number two: potties. Yes, “potties,” because I feel a little childish when mentioning something too close to bathroom humor. When conducting my business, I opt to flush all waste, including the single-use toilet paper. Now, it is compostable, but I’m sorry. With mild justification, I am not always able to conveniently compost with the use of public restrooms. This is another step I have not taken, and most likely will not ever take. My apologies to the humorous, bathroom-savvy idealists.
I have, I think, successfully managed my first week, creating a minimal amount of trash. And still, this is Trashy.
[Explicit Vid]
I consume trash. I am trash. I am trash.
This project of mine is Trashy. For it, I will be walking my talk, living my life with the image of being waste free. Ideally, the only ends for my product consumption will be through composting and recycling. Of course, there will be situations in which I can not, or will not, be able to do so, but we can talk about those during the following weeks, when I encounter them. For now, this is just an introduction to my latest adventure.
Our American society, capitalistic and consumeristic, is far too wasteful. In 2010, according the US EPA, 54.3% of municipal solid waste, our trash, was “discarded.” The recycling rate, being 34.0%, was the highest of any year. Still, about three quarters of the materials reported as discarded are those which could be recycled – paper, food scraps, yard trimmings, metal, and glass. More so, the material I discard most, is plastic. The non-recyclable kinds I find which I consume during my everyday life, come from product packaging: that stretch you fight to get at your new AA batteries, the lining of your favorite cereal, the individual sandwich bag, and so much more.
There is so much more to plastics. I feel bad, but this project is just one step in bettering my life with the environment. I am including plastic in my life, but only those which are long-lasting, reusable, or labeled as recyclable. And even though the chasing arrows symbol represents recyclable material, I know that’s not always the case, as many of those recyclable plastics are used to create non-recyclable plastics. To this, I take my trashy lens off. I will see the symbol as recyclable, and maybe later on, I will make this next step. Someone who has made this step, and who has helped me prepare for the weeks to come, is Beth Terry. The information she presents has been very helpful and inspirational. Links below.
This is Trashy.
http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw_2010_factsheet.pdf
Ello!! how have we all been??? Everyone survived spring break I hope! I know I did, I did a whole lot of nothing so I will live vi curiously through all of you!
Anyway I don’t feel there is a lot to report! Just plugging along making my compost all it can be! 
It’s getting to be a respectable little stink pile! It’s kinda creating a life of its own become part of the family. It sits right by the back door (which is the one I use all the time) so its gets a big hello and a check and shake when I get home! My neighbors probably think I have lost my mind completely, but what can you do. They always seem to be on the front porch when I go out and do my mixing or stirring if you will. I feel like a witch mixing my cauldron! It’s a little humorous!
I have however found myself expanding my collection base! Which is proactive and exciting. I have been collecting stuff from work as well and taking it home to add to the pile. I started noticing how much waste gets thrown away at work for instance when we make coffee and tea! Have you ever seen a restaurant size tea/coffee bag??? They are huge so I have been saving the grinds as well as the spoiled produce. We buy in bulk so there are always a huge amount of lemons and oranges that start to go bad and I have been collecting these as well!!
I finally saw the button to up load pictures so I will get a roommate to help me get one from my camera to the computer and I will hopefully get to show off my work soon.
Now all it needs to do is stay warm and I need to get a day off so I can start preparing for my garden soon. I don’t think the compost is done yet but I have a feeling it could be soon and I want to plants some flowers and a tomato plant or something productive in that manner! Let me know if you have any good ideas!
Till next time!!
Hope fully if my compost is good enough and I get somethings planted in enough time I canbe more sustainable this summer. With my own veggies hopefully and flowers for the house to briten things up so I don’t have to get them from wal mart. That is the goal really be more self sufficient and not have to got to wal mart. We talk alot about being sustainable is class and it got me thinking and expanding my project after the compost is all done! I am getting excited!!!
Hello Hello Hello!!!
Well, How have you all been!? I have been great just school work and compost you know…. the usual! Anyway the weather has been crazy as you all are brutally aware I am sure! I have been telling you all that I wasn’t having much luck with the weather and how it was sort of interfering with my pile but it was actually quite funny the other day when I went to tend the pile. I try and give it a good mixing and check on its moisture about every other day. Anyhow the other day when it was pretty cold and I went to go mix I went out and the pile had frozen!! I keep it close to my back door and when the rain had come off the house it was running straight into it. So that was interesting. About as interesting as a compost pile can get I suppose!
My roommates are good they still aren’t too helpful but at least they have stopped being counter productive. It was getting a little ridiculous for a while I was having to check the trash and what was getting thrown away to make sure nothing was compost material. Feeling like a dumpster diver in your own home is so not what I call fun, but it had to be done they were just being careless! Any hoo they have pretty much stopped throwing any left overs out they keep them in the fridge so I can go through and do it myself. How sweet huh? Well better than nothing at all.
So HOPEFULLY the weather will cooperate with me for a while and it will stay warm so I can get the yard clippings going and then!!!….. I can have a suitable home for some worms! Before now it probably would have been murder. There isn’t too much fun stuff for them just food scraps and paper but hey I’m working on it! slowly but surly!
till next time!
It just shows that if you set your mind to do something anything is possible. I sure didn’t think I would be dumpster diving in my own home when I started this semester but this pile measns something to me and it needs nurished just like the earth and I think if everyone took a class where the truth was so bluntly spelled out for them they would be more careful. I guess this brings up the holistic view once again. People are the problem! Not so far as deep ecology i don’t want to kill them off just want them to HELP!!!
Welcome back jack!
Well everyone as you know since I have talked to you all last I have been trying to create a flourishing compost!
Well since this is my first whack at it I think it possibly could be going better or I just had too high of expectations? I can’t say it is going bad I have been adding everything that I can from the dryer lint (p.s. dryer sheets are a no go, just a little tip from me to you, they are just floating around in there) to the molded bread we have. I just don’t feel like there is as much as I had hoped so far. I guess that could be good in a way maybe we don’t have as much waste as I thought?! Although I am still bummed that I still haven’t had a chance to rake my yard for leaves the weather just isn’t cooperating! In addition to the weather not allowing me to rake I mentioned before that it is just not letting my heap stifle! I NEED ROT! I hope though that in the weeks to come I will be able to successfully say I produced my very own compost.
I have been stirring it every other day and I decided about four days ago that it is possibly not getting wet enough (this could also be why it doesn’t smell very bad) I really haven’t gotten this whole thing down pat yet so I decided to give it a drink! Not just any drink we happened to have some old beer that had gone skunkie in our cooler so I decided it couldn’t hurt! Hey I could use all the yeast and moisture I can. I think it is helping! Much easier to mix and it’s all working itself together better. There is some definite brown action in the mix so I guess something is going right! Can’t wait to catch you all up next week in my composting drama! My fiance is supposed to be bringing me a paper shredder from work so I can tell you all about that then to. I wanted to get a pretty good pile going before I added the worms but hopefully I can get that going soon to.
This ties well to this class for me because it is something I have to nurture to get anything in return and that hits home with a lot of what we talk about in class.
So I am sure there is an actually way to do this but I’m a little computer retarded so here is the link where I got most of my ideas and guidelines from! enjoy!! Till next time!
http://www.compostguide.com/
Hey ladies and gents!
Well I’m here to catch you all up on my composting!!
Well lets first maybe address some of the concerns that were in your comments.
As far as the smell we haven’t had a problem it has been too cold thankfully and it has not been a problem. However i have a feeling it might be soon. But the websites I have been to have had lots of suggestions about how to reduce that so it isn’t such a problem. Also the critters have not posed a problem yet. So we are good there. I have a lid fro the trash can like you are supposed to so that will keep them at bay (I hope )
I have run into some issues already. They would be just remembering in general to do it. You wouldn’t believe how much of a habit or routine we get into almost like auto pilot when we are throwing things away. And trying to get the roommates to remember is a hassle. But they are excited to help and think it is a good cause so it will all work out in time. Another hang up was the SNOW you are supposed to add organic things like the yard clippings and stuff and layer with the other waste to make it all work together but they are hard to get to with the white stuff covering them up!!! But it is a learning experience and I am still pluggin away so I think it will all work out in the end! I haven’t added the worms yet I wanted to have a bit more of a pile going so they can have a cozy home!! I think once it warms up a bit it will work better also. It is supposed to get “hot” to get it going or the rot in other words so I am still positive and excited to see what I can accomplish!
Even though it is just the beginning I can already tell how much I have changed mentally! Every time (getting better at it) i go to throw something away i think about what else I could be doing with it! It is driving me crazy to see all of this waste that such a small house hold is accumulating and it has made me want to do more! Just think if I were to recycle and reuse more. How much waste I would be preventing.
Well I am just one person but I am doing all I can!!! Till next time when I hopefully will have something even more interesting to share. Keep smiling!
It is funny that in class we talk about how women are the more caring type and actually care about the environment but that is purely circumstancial because my roomates have no desire it seems to help me. I try and try but I feel like I am loosing this battle! Mother nature can not take care of herself so we need to stepm in and do what we can if women don’t care we are in more trouble then I though. I need to work harder to see it my way.
