Operation Garbage Reduction

I decided to challenge myself to reduce the amount of trash we're putting out each week. I'm not a hard-core environmentalist. I don't consider myself an environmentalist, but I do see the value in reducing our impact on our world. Resources are finite, so why not preserve them while we can?

We keep two cans in our kitchen. The silver can is for trash, the white can for recycling. Since we have to keep our big garbage cans in the garage, cutting back on the stink factor is a big deal. So that explains the need for the challenge. I decided try to salvage as much as we can to either put in the worm bin, feed the rabbit, or put in the recycling bin. That means cutting up paper and boxes, saving scraps for the worms instead of tossing in the trash, rinsing cans so they can be recycled, etc.

In one day, I managed to save:

-two popsicle boxes
-two mailers
-three toilet paper rolls
-one paper towel roll
-two newsletters
-one coffee pod
-one Costco sized garbage bag box
-a cereal box

I cut these all up and soaked the mix in some warm water to soften it up for the worms. The paper filled a loaf pan and was enough to start a new tray for the worm bin. Considering that this was one day's trash, it really puts the amount of trash generated each year in perspective. The average family produces 100 pounds of trash a week, or 5,200 pounds a year!