Compost Carl, our outreach specialist — two weeks of trash!
An Ecological Footprint Calculator
Do you know how much trash you individually produce every week? “Trek Your Trash” is a great way to evaluate how much stuff you put in the landfill. This can give you an idea of what type of material makes up the majority of your trash, which will display the best ways to cut down on costs and environmental impact. You might find some clever ways to reuse items in your bag too.
Want to Trek YOUR Trash?
Here are some steps to ensure that you get the most out of your experience:
- Choose a container- Nothing too cumbersome that you have to carry it in your hands. Make it visible! Carl uses a plastic bag and puts it in the outer pocket of his backpack.
- Keep a log– At the end of the day/week, write down what accumulated, where it came from, and why it can’t be reused. This will help you understand where the most trash accumulates in your life. What habits could you change to reduce this? Could you plan ahead to reduce avoidable trash?
- Share the results!– Post pictures on our Facebook, and just show your friends how proud you are to be reducing your costs and impact on the environment.
If there is a lot of trash at first, don’t be disheartened. Our linear disposal system is not easy to go against. By Trekking Your Trash, you are taking a huge step towards changing that system and your lifestyle!
Trek Your Trash Rules
Credit: Save The Mermaids
•All of the non-recyclable, non-compostable garbage that you personally generate is to be added to the bag.
•If an item can be recycled it can be disposed of in an appropriate recycling receptacle, however you must carry around the material until such a receptacle can be found.
•Likewise with compostable garbage – if you have a way to properly dispose of compostables, you need only carry them around until you can put them in the compost pile. If you don’t have a compost pile, now might be an excellent time to start one.
•You do NOT have to collect cat or dog excrement or soiled materials such as toilet paper and used tissue.
•If there is something with a strong odor, you may put it into a Ziplock bag, then place it in your garbage bag.
•You must collect trash from work, home, and leisure activities.
•If you live in a household with other people, you need only carry your fair “share” of shared waste.
 
A Linear Disposal System — Let’s change this!