Journey for the Planet - Week 1

This week is all about how to reduce the amount of garbage for which we are each responsible. Twelve points are needed to earn a certificate for this unit.

No Garbage Lunches
How are individually wrapped "lunch box" chips, cookies and crackers hard on the environment? What solutions can you come up with to reduce that impact?

Look around your house and find things that you can use when making lunch in order to pack a "zero waste" or "no garbage" lunch. Remember, your goal is to pack a lunch so you will have nothing to throw away (or recycle) when you are finished.

Bag Bags
What are some of the ways plastic bags are hard on the environment? What solutions are there? Look around your house and find other options to replace plastic bags.

San Francisco Bans Traditional Plastic Bags

Develop a system to using reusable bags. Develop a habit of putting bags back in the car after things are taken out of them. You can't use the bag if you don't have it with you.

Practice saying "We don't need a bag; we've brought our own!". Help the cashier by holding the bags open for him or her. This makes their job a little easier. Be sure to thank the cashier if they are nice or enthusiastic about your reusable bags. Let them know you appreciate their understanding. Consider finding the store manager and let them know how nice it was to have a cashier with a good attitude toward reusable bags.

Remember that not every purchase needs a bag. If you are buying one or two things they can be carried out of the store without a bag!

Wipe Swipe and Gesundheit

The secret to using cloth napkins is having enough on hand. You will never be able to develop a workable system if you don't have enough to work with. This is one of those situations where QUANTITY is better than quality. It is good to have one nice set of cloth napkins for when company is over but for everyday use think "cheap" and "absorbent". Check clearance racks (especially after holidays) for cheap bar towels, dish towels, washcloths and napkins. Simple napkins can be sewn using any absorbent fabric. (This is a great way to learn how to sew. It is nothing but straight lines and if they aren't perfect it doesn't matter.) Flannel also makes great napkins. If you cut it with pinking shears it will not ravel (I do have an occasional thread every 4 or 5 washes.) so there isn't even sewing involved. (Flannel will need to be washed a few times before it is really absorbent.)

Paper towels are equally as easy to part with. An ample supply of washcloths or bar towels (which can often be found on clearance after holidays) will serve nearly every paper towel purpose. "Ample" is the key word here. In our home we have a "clean hand" towel. This towel's only purpose is to dry clean hands. It does not wipe off counters. It does not dry dishes. It ONLY dries hands. This answers those "germy" concerns of paper towel supporters!

One question that is common... "Doesn't all that extra cloth increase the amount of water and energy used? Doesn't it defeat the purpose?" My answer is NO. We use no paper napkins, no paper towels, no disposable cleaning clothes and approximately 1/4 of the toilet paper we previously used. Our laundry has increased by 1/2 a load. All those napkins, towels and rags are very small. Most of the time they are disbursed throughout our regular load of towels. There is a bit more folding involved but since they are very little it is a great way to get little hands (the kids!!!) folding laundry.

Let It Rot

The average family throws away 1.28 pounds of food waste each day. That adds up to 470 pounds per year.

The average American family throws away 14% of all food that comes into the home. Most waste is in the form of produce and is a direct result of poor planning.

When planning your meals for the week try to plan the meals that use fresh produce for the first few days after you go grocery shopping.

Look into composting the rest of your food waste.

Composting 101
This is not for Florida but it has some good basic information.

How to Compost
Another site with basic information for backyard composting.

Our Vital Earth
The worm farm in Sorrento that sells the Can-O-Worms. This is a commercial site but still has some great info about worms and worm composting.

City Farmer
Great info on setting up a worm bin.

Back By Popular Demand

Here is a list of things that can be recycled by county. Volusia County residents are now able to recycle MUCH more than previous years. Orange County was surprisingly limited on the things that could be recycled. Seminole County has restrictions on the types of plastic containers. (They have a great Kids page on their website!) So read up on what can and can't be recycle in your community.

To get an additional Recycling Bin

Call the Volusia County Recycling and Solid Waste Division
West Volusia residents - 386-943-7889

To reduce the amount of junk mail you receive

Send your name and any variations of it as well as the names of your family members to the following address. Ask to have your name removed from mass mailing lists.

Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
POBox 9008
Farmington, NY 11735-9008

Don't forget to call the customer service numbers on the back of any catalogs you receive and ask to be removed from their PRINT mailing list. You will need to repeat this every time you order from that company in most cases.

Trashy Math

The average person throws away 4.4 pounds of trash each day.

1. How much do you throw away every week?
2. How much does your family throw away every day? every week?
3. How long does it take one person to throw away 100 pounds of trash?
4. How much trash will your family throw away in a year?
5. How much trash have you thrown away in your lifetime?

Journaling Questions

1. Why do you think it is important for people to be environmentally friendly?
2. Pick one way that you are NOT environmentally friendly. What steps can you take to correct the problems? If you don't know, make a list of the problems and we can discuss them!!

Discussion

Remember, if you have any questions or comments for this week, leave them in the comments section!!