Empty Your Trash for Earth Month

It's time for an AUDIT!

OK, I know that word is scary during tax season, but it's also Earth Month. 

So this month, we're going to do a *trash* audit. 

Sometimes, you can make all these changes... reusable mug, reusable food storage, swapping dryer sheets for wool balls... and after all of that you don't know if you've made any impact. And if you're comparing yourself to the super zero-wasters whose trash fits in a single jar, you may start to get overwhelmed that it seems like an impossible task to reduce or eliminate your trash. Well, in order to know if you're making an impact, you need to know where you're starting from. 

A few years ago, I started collecting my recyclable plastics for an upcycling project. I assumed that the majority of my plastic waste was going to be the white plastic lids from Starbucks hot beverages, and after several months, I learned how wrong that was. Now, the first two types of plastic waste I made were indeed coffee-related :) but it was mostly my creamer bottles from home-prepared coffee. Point being, the areas of waste you think you have may not be the biggest opportunities in reality. 

First step: pick your full trash bin or recycle bin, and literally dump it out. You may want to prep first by bringing it outside and/or laying down a tarp! You may also want a pair of gloves. :) 

Next, start sorting the waste into categories. Is it leftover food, plastic, aluminum, vacuum lint, paper bills?

(photo from Brian Hoffman, Flickr, Creative Commons license)

Next, start dividing into subcategories. Is there a single source within a category? For example, my plastic waste was almost entirely creamer bottles, followed by dairy containers (ex. sour cream tubs). 

Identify your top 2-5 sources of waste.

Now what to do with this information? 

1) Stop worrying about everything not in those top 2-5 sources. Look at the pile outside those categories, is it less than 20% of your waste? You can make dozens of changes and not realize any major results if you focus on the the wrong ones. 

2) Make a plan for the top sources. I had you identify 2-5 for a couple reasons. Not only will these make up the majority of your trash can and be the most rewarding to resolve, but also, you can move on to the #2 or #3 item if the first one is hard for you to address. There may be items that you just need to cut yourself some slack on because you really love that thing or your life requires some convenience. 

To start making a plan, look to the R's, and in this order: 

• Refuse/Reduce: Can you live without the thing altogether? Is there an alternative that creates less waste or packaging? For example, if you have a lot of beverage cans in your trash, are you able to switch to a tank system like SodaStream? If it's paper bills, can you switch to e-billing? Can you unsubscribe from junk mail or catalogs?
  

• Repair: Is the item something that could be restored? If you are throwing away clothes or shoes, could they be fixed with some simple sewing or shoe polish? Or a visit to a tailor or cobbler? 
  

• Reuse/Gift: Are the items something that can be repurposed? For example, if you are throwing away containers from lunch meats or takeout, they are equivalent to Gladware or similar food storage. If you have acquired too many to reuse yourself, have you posted to gift to a neighbor?
  

• Rot: Synonymous with composting. Is the majority of your trash food scraps or leftovers? You don't have to have a home composting system for this, as some municipalities let you put your food scraps right in with your lawn and garden waste. If you are worried about smells or pests or leaky countertop bins, simply put your food scraps in a bag in the freezer. When the bag gets full, transfer it to your yard waste bin. The freezer will solidify any liquids and reduce the time it's in your bin. 
  

• Recycle: I'll include trash and donate in this category. These are your last resort. Unless you have a charity or organization calling for specific types of donations, your thrift store drop-off may very well end up ultimately in the trash. 

After you've identified your top categories, chosen from those the ones you're most able and willing to address, and reviewed the questions above, you should end up with something like: "Wow, food waste makes up 30% of my trash. I'm going to Reduce by sharing meals when eating out and making a planned grocery list for when eating at home. I'm going to Reuse by intentionally eating my leftovers and using up leftover ingredients in the same week. And I will Rot the rest." 

Now you can save mental effort by focusing on one or two changes and having confidence you've made a substantial impact!