A New Year's Challenge

The holidays have passed, the tree is coming down, and now there is one more hurdle to clear before life resumes to normal–New Year’s Eve. I don’t know if you are like me, but I’ve always found those New Year’s resolutions to be a bit of a waste of time. So much anxiety is visited upon these things that they end up not accomplishing much and that diet you promised you’d stick to is pretty much forgotten by the time you bite into you your velvet chocolate cake on Valentine’s day. Having said that, I’ve got a New Year’s Resolution for you, albeit one you should be able to do, finish, and learn from. In reality, it’s actually more of a challenge.

As many of you know, I have been storing all of my trash and recycling in my basement (www.365daysoftrash.com) for the past 364 days and I’m just about done. OK, get over the fact that you are reading a piece written by a trash hoarder and hear what I have to say before you click away. By following through on this little experiment (and yes, in all honesty, I’m glad that 2009 is nearly upon me as it gets tedious cataloging all your trash), I have truly opened a door into understanding my waste stream. I find that things that I now think are totally normal (bringing a reusable covered dish to the store to buy fish, buying coffee in bulk and reusing the same bag time after time) other people are shocked by. But having said that, once they think about it, they realize these ideas make a lot of sense. I have discovered ways to save time, save money, get fresher food, and most importantly, limit my trash to a mere 32 pounds, roughly one weeks worth compared to the average American.

So here’s what I’m suggesting. At some point during the first two weeks of 2009, I challenge you, the Care2 readers, to keep all of your trash and recycling for a period of one week.

For those of you still left reading at this point, here’s the idea. By being confronted with your waste stream, you will learn more than you can imagine. For starters, most of you will realize how much you waste–and you’ll be surprised. But beyond that, by having to catalog everything, you will be forced to think about all the things you use, buy, and discard. And in doing so, you will be able to evaluate those actions, and make smarter choices about what your purchasing habits are.

I know there are many people who are reading this who may want to take part but can’t due to a lack of space to store your trash. Well fear not dear intelligent dwelling reader, I want you in too. If you can’t keep all of your trash and recycling, or don’t want to, or do want to but your wife is giving you the ole stink eye as you are reading this aloud to her on your anniversary, then do something just as illuminating. Keep a pad of paper and write down all the waste you create before you dispose of it. Or, just save everything for a day and catalog each night as I’ve mind numbingly done for the past year (that’s one thing I won’t miss).

The important thing is not hauling this stuff home, it’s confronting your waste stream. While a pile will hit things home better than a list, that list will still make you think. And that’s what all this is about, thinking. And thinking differently at that.

So how about it? If you are game, contact me through my Web site (www.365daysoftrash.com) and let me know. I’ll be sending out a questionnaire for folks to fill out to make it easy and then later in the month, I’ll post all of the results. Should be interesting, and definitely eye opening.

So there you have it, a New Year’s resolution you can actually manage that will change your life for the better. Now go have some velvet chocolate cake.

DISCLAIMER: The legal entites at Handerson Landers and Flynn have asked me to point out that anyone who chooses to partake in this challenge is doing so of their own volition and any consequences (screaming, flying cast iron skillets, nights spent on the couch) is their sole responsibility. In addition, all participants should use their best judgment as to what level they can participate on (hoarding versus notating) and anything that would present a health hazard on any level should be disposed of accordingly.

Dave Chameides is an environmental educator, freelance filmmaker and regular contributor to Care2′s Healthy & Green Living. He also writes alternative fuel articles for Edmunds.com and maintains the blogs 365 Days of Trash and Achieving Sustainability. While he is presently saving all of his trash for a year to better understand his environmental impact, his main focus is sustainability through education and he believes that with knowledge all things are possible.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Nyack C.

6:04PM PST on Dec 23, 2009

I will write it down, but? lol... sorry- there is NO WAY im am letting a weeks worth of garbage accumulate before dumping it

smell aside... its just too much bacteria to live with

send a green star

Green B.

9:42AM PST on Nov 29, 2009

November 1, 2010 will mark my first anniversary as a vegetarian. I feel better physically and spiritually for making that choice. I plan a real vegetarian feast for the big day.

Elizabeth W.

8:15AM PST on Jan 11, 2009

Maybe Dave's wife is just a B***H!..JUST KIDDING ;P
My humor gets me on trouble sometimes, but lots of time it tends to cheer others up. Forgiveness opportunity?:)
IS there is a product packaging line that truly is environment friendly, that we as consumers could petition to have companies use?
What is recyclable is not always made of recycled products. So there is a lot of initial manufacture of paper packaging that is often unnecessary (like noodle soups having plastic and cardboard).
With all the pthalate(sp?) concerns and possibility of chemical castration, I agree that the plastics that can't be recycled should be eliminated. A lot of folks don't realize it that some of the things that can be recycled are utilized only once, and often combined with other toxic substances like MORE petro chemicals in roads and in fiber fill for coats.
Will a more sustainable plant than trees, like hemp (not sure if USA will ever get over reefer madness mentality), be used with the resins to make such products?...maybe they are being made? Could this become mainstream or mandatory?
I know personally from being in the midst of raising kids how tough it can be. Granola bars weren't on the shelf and my mom made them. Damn convenience! I fall prey. Being a mom is energy extensive. My biggest clutter is kids homework/mail. I wish they would use boards at school & give them one big test at week's end. I am looking into home paper recycling & cooking more. I get once a week trash

Sustainable D.

2:24PM PST on Jan 6, 2009

Nancy,
I can't find your profile so contact me through my website www.sustainabledave.org. There is a feedback button up top.
dave

Nancy B.

12:59PM PST on Jan 6, 2009

OK, no problem saving because we get once a week garbage collection. Send me the Questionaire, please!

Tamara B.

12:41PM PST on Jan 6, 2009

As a woman and wife I must say that I was not at all offended by the "wife" comment because I do indeed give my husband "looks" when he gets some hairbrained idea in his head. If I loose my sense of humor and take offense so easily, because in all honesty the battle axe does wage in our house, then I am allowing myself to be victimized by my own sensitivity. This may be an archaic view point on my part, but I'll be the first to admit that I've done my fair share of eye rolling.

To expand on Renee's comment there are many great recipies online for making your own stock, fig newtons, animal crackers, pop-tarts, granola bars, etc. Just about any food you could buy in a package you can rind a mock recipie for online. Granted its much more time consuming but the rewards to health and environment are well worth it.

8:11AM PST on Jan 1, 2009

Rene, Martha, and anyone else reading this, please except my sincerest apologies as I meant no harm in any way, but was merely trying to be funny. I sometimes run into these problems when speaking about things to people for the following reasons. Humour is generally built on common perceptions and misconceptions and I am a relatively live and let live guy who doesn't understand discrimination or how someone can think less of someone they don't know. I also like and use humour fairly often.
As a result, I wrote something that i read as funny without giving it a second thought because in my mind, the concept that a woman would not be as into recycling, repurposing, etc as a man is is preposterous. The humour I was playing off of is the humour of my wife rolling her eyes at my hair brained schemes, not because she's a woman, but because I'm wacky.
Anyway, I'm rambling. I truly hope that you will understand and will try my best to think about this more in the future.
Happy New Year and thanks for reading

Tim B.

6:21PM PST on Dec 31, 2008

Perhaps if Dave said "spouse" instead of wife it wouldn't have rattled anyone. I'm sure he wasn't insinuating that "females don't get it" - it was just a humorous thought. Anyway, it was a great article and gave me an incentive to do more than just buy bulk or use my own shopping bags. I can do much more. Thanks Dave!

Renee P.

9:43AM PST on Dec 31, 2008

Thank you Martha! As a female, fanatic recycler who generates only one bag of trash every two or three weeks (and composts everything possible!), I was also slightly offended by the 'female doesn't get it' comments and disclaimer.

Great job, Marion! But, don't give up on the aseptic packaging yet! You did not list your city so just Google 'recycling aseptic boxes' and your city to get some ideas about recycling these packages. It is my opinion (and I am a green builder/consultant, not a part of the aseptic pack industry!) that this type of packaging is another tool for those who want to shrink their enviro footprint: smaller refrigerators and less trips to the grocery by having broth, milk, juice, etc. in shelf-stable packaging - when it can be recycled. Of course, shopping locally for in-season produce is the truly sustainable way if this option is avialable to you.

All the best to you both for a Healthy, Happy Green New Year!
~Renée

Teresa T.

9:02AM PST on Dec 31, 2008

I agree with you Marion, the packaging that even healthy products come in are often not recyclable. And why are companies still allowed to package any items in non-recycleable plasitcs? We can only recycle #1 and #2 plastics. I have found that trying to be a health and environment conscious shopper is very time-consuming and sometimes a pain. I couldn't have done it when my four kids were little. I couldn't have afforded it either, as healthier or more environmentally friendly products are more expensive. Sometimes MUCH more.