How Do We Reduce Trash?

Perhaps we can have a dialogue together about creative ways to reduce our trash output -- as well as our initial input that creates trash!

The input discussion involves our whole consumerist society, that teaches us from an early age through our media to buy, buy, buy... Need cheering up? Buy something! Want to help our nation after September 11th? Go shopping! Celebrating Valentine's Day or a special occasion? Show her (or him) your love through spending!

As Victoria pointed out in our Saturday trash discussion, this attitude has only been around for 50 years or so. That's pretty new in the scheme of human consciousness, and can be reversed with under a generation of good effort.


What are some ways we can reduce our INPUT?   


 (Please add your comments and ideas and challenges to this topic! 
In a week or so, we'll discuss ways to reduce OUTPUT...)

1. Swap with neighbors. I was in a women's group that swapped books, clothing, jewelry - we would bring bags of our own clean-outs and find treasures in those of others.

2. Use freecycle.org, the fabulous local and national group on-line that you can join and then give away your trash (someone else's treasures) and request/pick up stuff locally (their trash, your treasure). We've gotten lots of practically new stuff from freecycle, from tiles for our entire bathroom to sheets and blankets for a temple Bat Mitzvah drive. (Craig's List also has a large free section.)

Re-use is best! Nothing taken from the Earth to produce it! Nothing new in the waste stream, from manufacturing waste, packaging waste or consumer waste!

3. Use Craig's List (craigslist.org) to find good stuff cheap. We got a JennAir gas stove under half price on CL because the sellers were changing their kitchen decor! (Planned obsolescence, ingrained as the American Way!) People have bought tubs, exercise equipment (a biggie), and other items large and small for a fraction of their original cost. Re-use is best! (See note above ;-)

4. Find ways to use what we have:

a. Mending clothes:  I've had a lot of fun mending and patching clothes recently. Even fancier clothes have a fun new look with embroidered cross-stitches in contrasting colors on a patch from fancier material...  Start a new trend!

b. Repairing all sorts of stuff - with nails, screws, Superglue, wire, wood scraps, etc. etc. You'd be surprised what you can fix if you put your mind to it -- or ask for help from a handy friend; most are flattered to be asked and happy to share their knowledge. I bet you have a skill they don't - or do their food shopping next time you do yours, and save gas too!

c. Make it, or find it in your stuff! I've been amazed at what I have in my basement that can be turned into useable items: fabric for curtains and patches, odds and ends to make gifts (I make many of the gifts I give, and some don't take much time)... When I wanted a rack for drying plastic bags, I set up a mini-"clothesline" with brightly colored clothespins over the sink - more fun and effective than buying a wooden rack, not to mention no cost or counter space!

d. most radical and incredibly life-changing: see if you can do without it! Remember the old Yankee saying: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." ? It is amazingly creative to brainstorm ways around buying something we think we need.

If I saw something in the store that I wanted when I was young, my mother would ask me to think about it. If I really wanted it in a week (and it was reasonable and affordable), we'd go back and get it. But 99% of the time, it was a momentary desire and within a day I'd forgotten it completely. By the time I had my own babysitting money at 11 years old, I knew how to delay that impulse to buy and see what I REALLY wanted to do with my money.

So please throw in your ideas, questions, skepticism - let's have an intriguing discussion about reducing INPUT...

Sherry for MaynardCAN!