Week 17
Not much news here on the recycling front except the normal day-to-day stuff. Up front, I should note that during November, my updates may not be as lengthy as normal, because I participate in National Novel Writing Month each year, which is a writing challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. This means the amount of writing I do on a daily basis is vastly extended, and the combination of the novel challenge, school, and Green Garbage Project means I won’t have as much time on my hands as normal. You can still expect an update each week, and full-length updates will return in December, just in time for a garbage-free holiday season.
I completed my Master Recycler class last Thursday, and aside from making up a couple class sessions I missed, I’m all certified. This means I can start my volunteering with Marion County – if you sign up for the program, you commit to at least 30 hours of volunteer time spent educating community members about recycling and trash-related environmental issues. These payback hours are one of the main reasons I got involved in the program in the first place, because they serve as more ways I can get involved in the growing Green Movement. As volunteer opportunities come up, I will blog about them. The first one, of course, is my talk at the Salem Progressive Film Series’ showing of Garbage: The Revolution Starts at Home on Dec. 10 (see more info here http://www.salemprogressivefilms.net/films-coming.html).
Halloween has also come and gone, and with it, our decision to hand out Halloween candy even though the candy wrappers likely went into the trash after it got home. We tried to find candy wrapped in recyclable packaging, which, under non-Halloween circumstances is easy, but when wrapped “fun-size” becomes more difficult. I was disappointed to find very few candy options in recyclable packaging – even candy that normally comes in boxes (even mini-boxes) like Junior Mints or Milk Duds came packaged in plastic-wrapped boxes. If single throwaway packaging is bad, double-wrapping something is even worse. It can be so frustrating sometimes!
I do have to admit, too, that Adam and I succumbed to temptation and snuck a few pieces of candy from the trick or treat bowl. The wrappers are carefully preserved and I have plans to incorporate them into my fused-plastic craft projects, which I’ve been working on lately. Once I perfect the technique, I’ll post pictures about how you can turn what is typically garbage into a reusable craft like a tote bag or pencil pouch.
Finally, now that November has arrived, we are starting to think about ways to incorporate our sustainable ethic into the holiday season. The first thing on my list is making cloth gift bags for Christmas presents rather than wrapping them in wrapping paper. I’ll post pictures of these when finished, too.
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We, too, use cloth for wrapping presents. A pretty piece of handspun organic yarn always finishes the packages nicely. Might be a nice way to repurpose a shirt or sweater.
Have you guys considered composting at home which would be an ideal fit to what you are doing ? It appears that it is pretty much feasible even in a very urban setting.