10 Actions an Individual Can Take to make an Impact with Reducing Waste
- Trade out paper towels for air dry and cloth towel drying.
- Purchasing/making a bin or area for compost for your living area.
- Get advice and permission to set up a compost system for your living area.
- Spend 5 days using your normal habits of waste disposal (keep all trash), then spend 5 days working hard to use no materials that will go to a landfill (keep all things that aren’t recycled or composted). Compare the differences in your trash- you will see a little bit of effort does make a difference.
- Make your own tooth paste
- Educate your neighborhood on what can be composted and what cannot (do the same with recycling)
- Purchase food that you know you will eat- do not buy food you will end up throwing away.
- Separate food waste from non-food waste and take it to an anaerobic digestion facility
- Donate all of your clothes- and purchase them from second-hand stores
- Bring your own cup when you go out- do not purchase drinks in non-recyclable/compostable materials
5 Actions I will Complete to Reduce Waste:
- Trade out paper towels for air dry and cloth towel drying.
- Get advice and permission to set up a compost system for your living area.
- Educate yourself on the recycling and composting policies of cities that you normally live in or visit.
- Spend 5 days using your normal habits of waste disposal (keep all trash), then spend 5 days working hard to use no materials that will go to a landfill (keep all things that aren’t recycled or composted). Compare the differences in your trash- you will see a little bit of effort does make a difference.
- Make your own tooth paste
I am going to be challenged in remembering to not use paper towels. I depend on them for drying my hands, drying my dishes, wiping up spills, and many other things. I never realized how many I used- they are thin so I would use a lot for only one purpose. I will need to put my cloth towels everywhere so I remember to use them. I do not think I will struggle with finding a compost bin- the problem will be finding a place to take the compost when it is full. It will be challenging for me to spend 5 days using as little waste as possible. I will need to make a meal plan before the week starts so that I will buy foods that come without wrapping or wrapping that is compostable/recyclable. I want to show how a little effort can go a long way- this means I need to make sure there is a significant difference between the waste collected in my wasteful week and the waste collected in my waste free week.
I hope to learn how wasteful I am. I hope to get a reality check from completing my Month of Action. I also hope to learn from Lauren Singer, zero-waste activist, to make small changes in my life to help the environment. I would love to rely on homemade toiletries- toothpaste and shampoos. I also want to learn enough about Columbus’s, The Ohio State University’s, and my hometown’s (Sylvania, Ohio) recycling and composting policies so that I can educate others on how to be less wasteful.
Works Cited
10 Trash Reducing Tips From Zero-Waste Activist Lauren Singer