No Impact Experiment * Monday- Trash

I am Beginning the No Impact Experiment! 

Each day of the week I will add another element of conservation to my daily regimen.  Monday began with reducing the amount of waste I produce.

To meet this challenge, I saved all of the trash I accumulated for the day.  This included plastic bags that food came wrapped in, such as the carrot and egg noodle bags shown here, a netted bag that carried an onion, a Styrofoam container that held raw chicken, a large wire twist tie, a Kashi granola bar wrapper and foil.

 I also saved the food waste I accumulated such as egg shells, plantain peels, celery stalks and onion peels.

After going through all the trash, I asked myself, "how could I reduce this waste?"

Here is what I came up with:

1. Save the plastic bags from the carrots, noodles, and onion, and reuse them in place of regular zip-lock bags.  Possibly for sandwiches, fresh produce at the grocery store, or anything I might need to keep dry. This is great because it saves me money on bags while being good for the environment!

2. Wash and reuse the foil and large twist tie.  Once again, saving me dough!

3. Put the food waste that is able to be composted into the community garden compost pile.  Community gardens have been around for a while but have been gathering even more participants lately.  Check your community for a garden plot you could send your food scraps to!  The nutrients in the food help make great soil for growing yummy veggies.

By reusing what I could and composting the food waste, I reduced my trash to merely a Styrofoam container and a granola bar wrapper- much better!

At the end of the day I was surprised how much trash I produced that could be reused!  Although this is a good practice in reduction of waste, there still lies a problem in the accumulation of these types of things.  For example, after saving reusable trash for months, you may have a kitchen drawer that won't close because it is overflowing with plastic bags, twist ties, and napkins.
So, to avoid clutter, it is best to make a conscious effort to avoid waste altogether.  For example, when buying produce at the grocery store, bring your own shopping bags and containers for fresh produce.  Buy food and goods that comes with less packaging.  But when it is unavoidable, don't be afraid to reuse!  It will save you time, money, and guilt.

Day 1 Complete!

**If anyone has done or is doing the No Impact Challenge, I would love to hear your experiences. Post them as comments here!