Walking the Talk with Sustainable Dave

When was the last time you threw something “away”?

Did you think about it? What you were getting rid of? Where did it come from? Where is it going?

Well, until this year, I was right there with you, my friend. Throwing things “away” without ever thinking about where “away” was, what it looked like, or whether it would ever connect back to me. And then I stopped. That’s right, I stopped. On Jan. 1, I began a yearlong experiment of keeping all my trash and recycling it in my basement. Now I know what you are saying: “He’s crazy! A nut job! Care2 has gone off the deep end!” And I can’t say I blame you for thinking it.

On the surface, it seems like an irrational thing to do (it doesn’t get much better if you look down in the basement either), but before you all click away, let’s talk about this for a minute.

For the past five months, everything that I have disposed of has gone down in my basement after being cataloged on my blog. I know what it was, where it came from and where it has gone. I can quantify it, play with it if I so desire (I don’t), sing to it (no comment) and even re-use it a month or two later should I find a need. As a result of this new consciousness and the changes in purchasing choices it brought, at four months my trash total was just around 25 pounds, as opposed to the national average which would have put me right around 540 pounds. In the process of my experiment, I’ve started a worm compost, switched from plastic milk bottles to glass (didn’t even know these still existed), have started French pressing my morning java, and have all but eliminated my junk mail. And that’s just for starters.

But I think the most enlightening aspect of this challenge is discovering how hard it was to change a basic habit. Try training yourself to never throw anything away and you’ll see what I mean. Having said that, now that I have gotten used to it, I don’t even think of heading for the garbage can anymore. It’s actually become a part of my routine. And that got me to thinking.

The “solutions” that we all read about daily are all out there, yet many find it hard to change. For some, it’s a matter of not knowing where to start. For others, it’s a question of information. And for many more of us, it’s a tendency to give up due to how overwhelming it all can be. Well, fear not eco-sensitive reader. Starting with my next post, we’ll take one issue at a time, explore it, and work toward a viable solution you can live with. We’ll spend a few posts going over the problems associated with something—say bottled water—and then I’ll throw out some simple ways to make cutting them out altogether easier.

Finally, I’ll ask everyone to pledge to go without for a week and then we’ll all check back in and see how things went. My hope is that by the end of 12 months, we’ll all be much farther along than where we are today, and the difference we make will add up. Simple enough? And lest you think that I have all the answers (I don’t, just ask my wife) I’ll be looking for your ideas and feedback to come up with even better alternatives. After all, we’re all in his together, right?So how about it? Ready to start walking the talk?

Live Sustainably.

Dave Chameides is an environmental educator and freelance filmmaker. He 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 believes that with knowledge all things are possible.

By Dave Chameides

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

Yanic A.

11:59AM PDT on Jul 22, 2008

Amazing! Can't wait to start!
My husband and I have already been making a valient effort. (At least I think) but I'm always all about learning more.

send a green star

Sustainable D.

9:34PM PDT on Jun 29, 2008

Wowie Zowie!!!! Thanks for all the comments and information and I will be trying to it a lot of the points you have brought up. Wild stuff about the sweaters being used as packing, haven't heard of that one.

Thanks for all the interest and keep the comments coming!

Dave

Jeff D.

8:27AM PDT on Jun 28, 2008

I hope one of your next posts will talk about reducing waste instead of recycling it. You can't throw away what you don't have.

Recycling is a good solution for food packaging, but if it becomes "overwhelming" you should stop to think if you might be consuming too much.

It's been 2 years ago that I started selling or giving away things I didn't need. It not only makes for a cleaner home, but also a clearer mind. Now I consider and reconsider before anything new enters the house!

Kay S.

1:19PM PDT on Jun 21, 2008

Waste continued.--I also know someone who worked for a HUGE mfr. of a product used in thousands of items. You probably have it in your home. They said that I would not believe the millions of dollars in "charge backs" they get every day. No proof of damage necessary, the amount charged back is just pd. to the retailer. What room for fraud!!!! This is happening in EVERY retail business in this country. NOW. Just attempt to add up all that waste and landfill. It's impossible to even guess the amount. Americans like to be so smug about how advanced we are. Denise Tanhka proves how wrong we are.

Another thing you can do is watch the trash in your neighborhood. People put out perfectly good toys, furniture etc. We tend to grab onto it and get it to someone who can use it. It may take a little hosing off, but some child's eyes are going to light up upon getting that thrown out plastic tricycle and it won't be in the landfill.

1:06PM PDT on Jun 21, 2008

Here is something I have been trying to get out to the public to no avail. It may take several message spaces to finish. When I was growing up, a returned product, or a product damaged on receipt by the store were shipped back to the mnfr. I learned a few yrs. ago that this is not now the case. My husband went to work stocking for a large store after a forced early retirment from his real job. In fact he helped stock the store for opening. What he saw appalled him and other employees. A huge shipment of shirts came in short a button. They went into the compacter and the mfr. was "charged back". Not donated to a homeless shelter, trashed. A shipment of something came packed in sweaters. Probably rejects, but warm and usable. Into the trash. A furniture item was opened and one put on display. Then out of the truck came one in a box labeled "Sample". Since one was already on the floor, so the sample one was never opened--into the dumpter, brand new. My husband tried to buy it to keep it out of the trash. No dice. Upper mgmnt came and was asked if they could donate these things. They said yes, but it never happened. I called the Salvation Army, but evidently they were turned down. The excuse is that people will try to bring the items back for return. At the time I was working in a situation where I was in several stores once a mo. I asked the mgr. at one of them what happened if a shipment of stuffed toys would come in missing an eye. Hi answer, into the trash and "charge back".

12:51PM PDT on Jun 21, 2008

Thanks Black Tiger P. That's what I tho't about the inks, but wanted to make sure. Another issue in Tulsa is that the only things we can recycle are aluminum cans, newspapers and mags, the only plastic we can recycle has to be "milky looking with a small opening" i.e. milk and water jugs. In a Seattle campground they had cans for all sorts of other recycleable materials. Unfortuntely, we seem to be limited by our shortsighted city officials. Something needs to be done, but I am not well enough to stir it up. I try to buy minimally pkgd. goods, but it's darn near impossible. Now that Goodwill is recycling clothes into other products, we have been able to keep things that were too far gone to give for sale. Go Goodwill!! I wish that somebody would take the disposable aluminum pan I was given at a restaurant, and other plastic materials. We reuse many things but eventually they've lived their life and need somewhere to go. I am glad to hear someone else say that I can get rid of my shredded stuff in the compost.

Deborah M.

8:04PM PDT on Jun 19, 2008

THANKS FOR THE INFO

Denise T.

7:08PM PDT on Jun 19, 2008

I'm sure many ofyou will be surprised, happily or un to lesrn that here in India not a shred of trash is ever gone to waste. There is always someone to buy, yes buy, bottles, tin, newspapers et al, and these in turn are recycled for different purposes. The absolute unusable, is used for land fill. I live in Calcutta,(I know the horror stories that are doing the rounds) but say what you want, not an iota of garbage goes to waste. Waste? What waste? One man's waste is another man's sustenance ! Dave should come learn!!!

Alan K.

6:14PM PDT on Jun 19, 2008

I don't have a basement or attic to store the refuse or places to compost it. I do try to recycle as much as possible. Also I reuse plastic bottles but do not find glass bottles a viable alternative.

Too many organizations including schools and government departments do not recycle.

There are a few schools which have all the plastic bottles & cans taken out of the lunchroom garbage baskets each day. The students take pride. But most don't bother.

Sharon R.

5:04PM PDT on Jun 19, 2008

Great article & very useful info, thank you :)