October is Zero Waste Challenge Month. Join us!
TASK
Analyze where you create waste in your life and then devise a plan and implement it to reduce your waste.
Analyze where you create waste in your life and then devise a plan and implement it to reduce your waste.
Zero Waste Challenge
This month you will spend the first week analyzing where you generate waste, and coming up with some ideas about how to reduce the amount of waste. Use this link to guide you. However, you will share your documentation through Google Classroom.
Steps to going zero waste
1. Remember* why is going zero waste important
2. Refuse what you don't need
3. Reduce what you do need
4. Reuse what you can
5. Recycle
6. Rot organic material, such as food waste, paper soiled with food and yard scraps
*Remember - Although you are doing this zero waste challenge as a class project, it is most helpful to have a motivation for going zero waste that is important to you. This will help you to refuse/reduce/reuse/recycle/rot. Define your "Remember" because having clarity about why you want to reduce waste will help you make buying decisions because there is so much excessive packaging and plastic. This clear motivation will make the decisions you make last beyond the month-long challenge. Here are some ideas of "Remembers."
- I love the ocean and the ocean is predicted to have more plastic then fish by weight. I'm not going to buy this.
- It took 300 million years to make the petroleum this material is made of, and I would only use it for (time) AND it will be on the planet for several hundred years after I use it. I'll find a plastic-free alternative.
- I care about my health and the health of other beings on the planet. I don't need this.
Make up something that works for you that serves as a touchstone.
This month you will spend the first week analyzing where you generate waste, and coming up with some ideas about how to reduce the amount of waste. Use this link to guide you. However, you will share your documentation through Google Classroom.
Steps to going zero waste
1. Remember* why is going zero waste important
2. Refuse what you don't need
3. Reduce what you do need
4. Reuse what you can
5. Recycle
6. Rot organic material, such as food waste, paper soiled with food and yard scraps
*Remember - Although you are doing this zero waste challenge as a class project, it is most helpful to have a motivation for going zero waste that is important to you. This will help you to refuse/reduce/reuse/recycle/rot. Define your "Remember" because having clarity about why you want to reduce waste will help you make buying decisions because there is so much excessive packaging and plastic. This clear motivation will make the decisions you make last beyond the month-long challenge. Here are some ideas of "Remembers."
- I love the ocean and the ocean is predicted to have more plastic then fish by weight. I'm not going to buy this.
- It took 300 million years to make the petroleum this material is made of, and I would only use it for (time) AND it will be on the planet for several hundred years after I use it. I'll find a plastic-free alternative.
- I care about my health and the health of other beings on the planet. I don't need this.
Make up something that works for you that serves as a touchstone.
Videos
Story of Stuff - Bottled Water - This informative video explains the issues with bottled water and plastic water bottles. Erica Priggen, she's the one who helped us with our seed saving slogans, is the Executive Producer of the film.
Interview with Wang Juliang - An interview with Chinese documentary filmmaker Wang Juliang, director of the documentary Beijing Besieged by Waste.* China is the world's largest recycler and imports about 60% of the recyclable plastics and e-waste (electronic waste) on the global market. Here is the trailer for Plastic China, a more recent documentary by Wang Julian about an 11 year old girl who longs to go to school and works a thousand miles from her mountain village and her boss who both long for a better life.
Midway - a Message from the Gyre a short film by photographer Chris Jordan. If you like Chris Jordan's work, you will find his TED talk insightful.
Zero Waste and Our Stuff - more than 40% of greenhouse gas emissions come from our stuff and food. Let's go zero waste and make a difference!
You Can Live Without Producing Trash - Lisa Ling interviews Lauren Singer from Trash is for Tossers
Interview with Wang Juliang - An interview with Chinese documentary filmmaker Wang Juliang, director of the documentary Beijing Besieged by Waste.* China is the world's largest recycler and imports about 60% of the recyclable plastics and e-waste (electronic waste) on the global market. Here is the trailer for Plastic China, a more recent documentary by Wang Julian about an 11 year old girl who longs to go to school and works a thousand miles from her mountain village and her boss who both long for a better life.
Midway - a Message from the Gyre a short film by photographer Chris Jordan. If you like Chris Jordan's work, you will find his TED talk insightful.
Zero Waste and Our Stuff - more than 40% of greenhouse gas emissions come from our stuff and food. Let's go zero waste and make a difference!
You Can Live Without Producing Trash - Lisa Ling interviews Lauren Singer from Trash is for Tossers
Interactive Map of Plastic
Going Zero Waste & DIY Ideas
REDUCE YOUR PLASTIC by refusing to buy things wrapped in plastic is the first step. Here are some great do-it-yourself (DIY) ideas.
School & School LunchGet hot lunch? Bring your own utensils & cloth napkin
10 Tips for Packing a Zero Waste Lunch Plastic-Free Food - a family of 5 goes plastic free for 5 weeks; check out their graham cracker & Lara bars recipes! DIY Bento Bag - Make your own bento bag for carrying your lunch or snacks Two e-Books: Healthy Lunches and Snacks - great ideas for packing healthy, zero waste food for school (& the office) What does a zero waste lunch look like? Recipes (Found a great recipes? Let me know!)
School & Office Supplies |
Self Care, Beauty & ClothingMorning routine for a Zero Waste Day includes some bathing & beauty tips
Book
Earthly Bodies & Heavily Hair - available at HMS Library Websites 15 DIY Hair Products Every Girl Needs to Try Zero Waste Home - Essential Multifunctionalities Project 333 - invites you to dress with 33 items or less for 3 months; site include tips and inspiration DIY Toothpaste recipe 1 DIY Toothpaste recipe 2 - lots more on the web DIY Deodorant or just use baking soda with essential oils Basic Shampoo Recipe
You can also buy shampoo bars - not DIY, but plastic-free and they work great. - |
Home & CleaningDIY cleaning products - recipes & uses
Basic ingredients to clean most things:
Zero Waste 30 Day Challenge
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Zero Waste Gift Giving
More Zero Waste Gift Ideas
Trash is for Tossers Gift Ideas Zero Waste Holidays - Zero Waste Homes Make gift bags from calendars - tutorial |
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Zero Waste Challenge: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Question: Do I need to bring my trash to school?
Answer: No. Take any trash you make at school or outside the home to your house. Keep it in a bag there. REMEMBER to make sure all items are free of food particles before storing. At the end of the challenge, you will upload a photo on your Zero Waste Challenge document.
Q: Do my parents need to do this too?
A: No. This is your challenge. However, it's great if the whole family does the challenge together.
Q: How do I know if it is compostable?
A: Food can be composted if your family has a green waste bin, worm bin or compost. Typically, many people don't compost meat, eggs or dairy products (ex. cheese) in home composters because these items attract rodents and tend to smell. However, they are compostable. If you have a green bin, put animal products there or make sure that they are buried in the compost so they don't attract pests.
Q: How do I know if it is recyclable or not?
A: Look for the label on plastic bottles. The triangle with the recycle symbol does NOT mean that you can recycle it! It is an indication of the materials that make up the object. Not all recycling services accept all numbers. They will be changing the symbol soon to a triangle without arrows to reduce consumer confusion. Some places only take a few the most common plastics, #1 & #2. Check your sanitation service to see what other plastics they accept. Here is Marin Sanitary (see p.6 -8) and Mill Valley Refuse list of accepted items. However, remember that plastics aren't really recyclable. At best they are downcycled and made into another product, but eventually they will be landfill or end up in the environment. Also, many companies will accept most plastics but then end up tossing much of it as they only have contracts for a few types of higher priced plastics.
Q: I'm a girl and I use menstrual pads that have plastic in the pads. Are there alternatives?
A: Yes. Organic cotton tampons that come wrapped in paper are a better alternative, but still create waste. There are also menstrual cups. These are simply washed out and reusable and last for years.
Answer: No. Take any trash you make at school or outside the home to your house. Keep it in a bag there. REMEMBER to make sure all items are free of food particles before storing. At the end of the challenge, you will upload a photo on your Zero Waste Challenge document.
Q: Do my parents need to do this too?
A: No. This is your challenge. However, it's great if the whole family does the challenge together.
Q: How do I know if it is compostable?
A: Food can be composted if your family has a green waste bin, worm bin or compost. Typically, many people don't compost meat, eggs or dairy products (ex. cheese) in home composters because these items attract rodents and tend to smell. However, they are compostable. If you have a green bin, put animal products there or make sure that they are buried in the compost so they don't attract pests.
Q: How do I know if it is recyclable or not?
A: Look for the label on plastic bottles. The triangle with the recycle symbol does NOT mean that you can recycle it! It is an indication of the materials that make up the object. Not all recycling services accept all numbers. They will be changing the symbol soon to a triangle without arrows to reduce consumer confusion. Some places only take a few the most common plastics, #1 & #2. Check your sanitation service to see what other plastics they accept. Here is Marin Sanitary (see p.6 -8) and Mill Valley Refuse list of accepted items. However, remember that plastics aren't really recyclable. At best they are downcycled and made into another product, but eventually they will be landfill or end up in the environment. Also, many companies will accept most plastics but then end up tossing much of it as they only have contracts for a few types of higher priced plastics.
Q: I'm a girl and I use menstrual pads that have plastic in the pads. Are there alternatives?
A: Yes. Organic cotton tampons that come wrapped in paper are a better alternative, but still create waste. There are also menstrual cups. These are simply washed out and reusable and last for years.
Student Generated Ideas for Next Year
- Pick up trash and then make art out of it
- Make a website displaying art and getting the word out!!!
- Create a video about trash in communities/ocean (PSA)
- Raise money to get reusable water bottles to give out for free
- National Skip the Straw Day (join the kids who did that this year)
- National Recycle Week
- National Zero Waste Challenge Month - get others to join us
