A Year Of Trash Is...96 Cubic Feet of Packaging
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 12.31.07
Ari Derfel of Berkeley, California, saved his trash - including what he generated when he went out - for an entire year and ended up with a kitchen and then a living room full (96 cubic feet to be exact) of mostly food packaging, bits of paper, and the odd condom. He composted all his food scraps and over time, became obsessively careful about what he bought and consumed. As reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, Derfel's experiment was a vivid demonstration of the fact that while we throw away lots and lots of trash, much of it never really goes completely away.
One of the most interesting and thought-provoking results of Derfel's experiment was his feelings around trash maintenance - he spent a lot of time sorting, and rinsing and drying his trash, the pre-process many of us are well-acquainted with in preparation for recycling, which Derfel denounces as 'wasteful' in his blog, saveyourtrash.
"Of course recycling is a powerful first step in becoming aware of what one consumes," Derfel says. "That said, [recycling] takes enormous amounts of energy and clean water..."
While Derfel says recycling is a needed alternative to using up raw materials, it can also show a lack of effective design around our own consumption. Why for example, must we all take home untold take-out packages instead of having personal, reusable containers? Derfel plans to give his accumulated trash pile to an interested artist - there's gotta be a treehugger out there who qualifies. Via ::SF Chronicle
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Total Wrecklamation Episode: Something Old, Something New
- 10 Green Tips to Recover from Holiday Clutter
- Give an Experience Instead of a Gift This Year
- Trash or Cash: Stackable Washer-Dryer (Video)
Back in 2005, the Brooklyn-based artist Kathryn Hubbard did a similar project, even arranging all of her trash into weekly piles and taking really striking photos of them. Check her out:
http://www.goodmagazine.com/section/Features/the_private_life_of_trash
I'm amazed when I read through the comments on his blog. So many people either said he's a nut, or prasied him for doing this. The problem is: We all need to be aware of our trash!!! Don't just read over his stuff and think to yourself how commendable it is that he reduced his trash enough to keep in inside. Take a look at your trash can RIGHT NOW and justify everything that's in it. I throw out an average of around a pound a week, and I'm still reducing that. We all need to do our part.
I'm glad to live in Canada. Nova Scotia specifically, because recycling is mandatory.
4 Mandatory + 1 Optional:
1. Garbage, stuff that doesn't go in the others.
2. Paper/boxboard/cardboard
3. Plastic/cans/glass/metal/containers
4. Compostables (ie.Food waste, soiled paper/napkins, etc.)
5. Refundable bottles (Pay 10cent deposit at store, get 5cents back when you bring them to depot). This is optional, you can just put the bottles into #3.
This system works great, however, companies need to get their acts together and stop with the excessive packaging!
Interesting Experiment.
I think if we had the room in our small 975 sq ft house I might take weekly pictures as Kathryn Hubbard had done (mentioned in the previous post).
It might bring to light some ways to reduce the "footprint" at our house and also reduce the amount of work it takes to recycle (I hate the time it takes to breakdown cardboard, sort, wash, etc.).
As for the "personal, re-usable containers" I would recommend using Tupperware as its first-run plastic, food-safe, and pretty durable with a lifetime warranty.
There are some at my work, in my car, and tons at home (a whole cabinet of various types). I use them for just about every type of vegetable, dry goods and of course....leftovers.
Re: Personal re-usable containers. I frequently cook in bulk and freeze future meals, I also like to bring my lunch to work almost every day. The best containers I have found (for a household of 2) are 2 cup glass containers with a tight fitting plastic lid. They are infinately reusable unlike the cheap gladware plastics (I am careful not to microwave the plastic lid) and I believe (feel free to prove me wrong) that while these have a higher production and shipping cost up front, they are more sustainable in the long run. They are very sturdy too, but if I break one, I could even recycle the glass. Also, if you are a busy microwave reheater like we are, you avoid the reheating plastic problem.