Adventures in Waste Reduction

My partner and I live together in a small, 2 bedroom apartment in Chicago. Somehow, since we moved in together, we manage to fill several bags of trash per week. Two people, two dogs, 2-3 bags of trash per week. This got me thinking...

My mental math:

Two people (no kids) X 10 bags of trash per month X the first world population = no wonder the oceans are filling up with trash and we can’t find enough space for landfills.

Further, waste disposal practices have historically affected low income communities of color disproportionately compared to white communities. Last year, the EPA found that people of color are significantly more likely to breathe polluted air than their anglo counterparts. This systemic phenomenon is known as environmental discrimination.

USA Today’s podcast The City tells the story of how this type of discrimination has prevailed in Chicago - give it a listen, seriously. It’s a great lesson in Chicago political history, and an even more powerful and challenging lesson about economic and racial privilege. If nothing else, it will also make your think twice - maybe even three times - about what you put into the trash.

So, I’ve undertaken a domestic project to reduce our trash consumption. Among the things I’m trying, here are a few:

Shampoo & Conditioner

I recently switched to bar shampoo and conditioner - it eliminates the plastic bottle waste, and works just as well. Once you get used to the act of rubbing a bar of soap on your hair, it’s pretty great. Right now, I’m using Ethique - simply run the bar in a continuous motion from root to tip, and work your way across your hairline until you’ve covered the top layer. Then lather up!

Produce Bags for Groceries

I looked at a lot of options for these - various reusable mesh bags of all kinds. I was skeptical of cotton, given that cotton production is not always kind to the environment. However, upon futher research, I found that organic cotton is more sustainably grown, and prevents additional plastic from being produced and ultimately ending up in a landfill (even if it is used a bunch of times first). We use organic cotton bags for our produce - they’re washable, and wear like iron.

Recycled Trash Bags

Obviously, the end game here is to use fewer trash bags in general. However, I wanted to know what a more sustainable alternative to standard plastic trash bags might be.

One option is compostable trash bags. However, filling biodegradable trash bags with non-biodegradable trash doesn’t feel like the best choice. From what I’ve read, this practice is a small consolation prize for the environment and doesn’t seem to do much more than make us feel better about our trash.

Recycled trash bags may be a more sustainable choice. It repurposes waste that would otherwise go directly into landfills. Further, it increases the demand for recycled products, which is a declining market. We’re currently using Evolution trash bags.

Eventually, I’d love to get on the level of those who use reusable trash bags. But we’re not there just yet.

Composting

Ok, it sounds gross, but what better way to help reduce the volme of trash we throw away and repurpose that waste to grow beautiful veggies, herbs, and flowers? We’re still shopping around, but we’re narrowing in on an elevated barrel composter - one we can turn (and not have to tamp town) and that will be hard for pests to get to compared to something that sits on the ground. More to come on our composting adventures.

Veggie & Herb Garden

Over the summer, I drew up plans for a new backyard at our house. We’re in our first year in this house, and the former owners planted tons of beautiful flowers and shrubbery in the backyard - it’s lovely, but I think we can do better.

In addition to the proposed composting area, I’ve proposed extensive gardens along our sunny east wall. My goal is to repurpose this area to use the composted soil and grow a variety of veggies and herbs. By growing our own food - with the compost from our food leftovers - I think we can further drive down not only our waste, but also the volume of food we purchase in the first place.

The fresh veggies we purchase at the store come with a hefty cost to the environment - many are shipped on gas guzzling planes and trucks to make it onto our local grocers shelves while they’re still ripe. The more veggies we can grow - or source locally - the better for the earth.

______

More to come on my waste reduction experiments! Have you been experimenting with waste reduction strategies? Please share!