Karin Van Vlack

Greater efforts at trash reduction. We don't pay for curbside garbage collection or recycling, choosing instead to pay by the bag and haul it and our recycling on our own (sometimes with the bike trailer!). We plan to start with an empty can and track how much garbage we create over the challenge period.

My EcoChallenge Blog

October 3rd, 2011

What I can say about the return of the rain is this: the soil loosens up after the dry season and that means we can go back to digging small holes to bury the dog's poop! We live on about 3/4 acre, with lots of forest cover, so the forest floor is soft and pliable (once the rain returns). We make sure to dig the hole at least 4-6 inches deep and cover it completely. We have no adjacent neighbors and our water comes from a (distant) community well, so I feel OK about this decision. When I can't bury it, I use a biodegradable bag and dispose of it in the trash. We're isolating the dog poop that does get bagged during the challenge to see how much adds up. Plenty, I'm sure, but nothing like the cat litter is going to be....

October 2nd, 2011

We began the challenge yesterday, like most folks. My intent is to be even more systematic about reducing our unnecessary garbage, particularly when it comes to take out containers and cups and--our latest indulgence--frozen yogurt cups and their plastic spoons. We have homemade cutlery carriers that we simply need to take with us! I have a new approach when I find myself in a coffee shop without my travel mug yet I need to pop in-and-out quickly: order a doppio con panna (two shots with whipped cream) in one of the shop's mugs. It gets me everything I want in my coffee (that is, coffee) and is small enough to drink quickly without needing either a travel mug or a to-go cup. My husband forgot his mug today...so decided to go without coffee while commuting. Upon eating lunch out later in the day, our 10-yo spoke up: "We don't need a to-go container because we have our spare container in the car." Grateful for her memory!

Comments

From: Mike Mercer

Hi Karen, Glad to see you are in the challenge and will even raise some dough. Hope all is well with you!

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My EcoChallenge(s)

Trash Reduction

My Fundraising Goal

$50

My Pledge Tally

$0