Welcome, EcoGeek readers. As you can see from the previous post, your ever faithful geek, Sarah Jackson, plans to spend the next few months at home with her newborn. My name is Krista Kapralos, and I’ll be acting as your geek until Sarah returns.
Let’s get started!
How much do we throw away?
That’s a question one Los Angeles man has dedicated 2008 to answering. In his blog, www.365daysoftrash.blogspot.com, Dave Chameides chronicles everything he would throw away, every day.
The catch is that he doesn’t throw it away. Instead, he meticulously identifies each waste item and stores it in his basement until he can responsibly dispose of it, whether through recycling or re-use. Every cupcake foil, Kleenex tissue, used q-tip and everything else. Yes, there are photos. Yes, they are disturbing. He swore in one blog entry that it doesn’t smell, but that was in January.
The lists of waste were initially surprising. Here’s an average example, from Jan. 10:
•10 misc pieces of paper/receipts – worms
•1 plastic OJ bottle HDPE #2 w/cap – recycle pile
•1 plastic milk jug HDPE #2 w/cap – recycle pile
•2 band-aid wrappers and 4 little plastic tabs from band-aid – garbage pile
•1 ball of blue paper tape from painting – garbage
•2 plastic wrappers from freeze dried fish – (possibly) recycling pile
•1 glass salad dressing bottle w/cap – recycling pile
•1 cardboard food box – recycling
•1 waxy box liner – garbage
•3 incandescent chandelier bulbs – E recycle pile (oooh a new pile)
•1 small sticker off an apple (do we really need these?) – garbage
Does the average adult really produce that much waste? Every day? As I review my Memorial Day, I remember the following:
•One can that contained crushed pineapple
•One empty sour cream container
•Four large pieces of aluminum foil
•Plastic bag and several small boxes from pharmacy
•Empty sparkling cider bottle
•Plastic plate and fork used at picnic. And napkin. Actually, three or four napkins
•Bag from taco stand, foil that wrapped taco. Multiple napkins…five pieces of computer paper, thanks to making changes after printing…one manila envelope…this is getting exhausting!
I’m sure there’s much more I’m forgetting. I’m ashamed that my initial glance at Dave’s list from one January day seemed excessive. In reality, my list is probably much, much longer.
But there’s hope. Compare Dave’s January day list with this one, from this past weekend.
•5 plastic candy wrappers – garbage
•1 beer bottle w/top – recycle
That’s it! For one day, Dave’s list seems inhumanly short. Or, perhaps that’s the most humane list of all.
How do you rate? List your daily haul in the comments section – let’s have a conversation!
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