Week 28
And so, the garbage squatting continues. Sure enough, we put out our can containing litter and meat scraps on Wednesday night and as I walked past the can Thursday morning, I peeked inside and saw … one bag of trash resting at the bottom. This time, the trash was tied neatly into a bundle inside a white plastic bag, as opposed to thrown loose inside the bin. And honestly, this infuriates me, and I’ve spent all week wondering whether this is irrational or justified annoyance. Here’s our situation – we live between a single mom raising three kids on one side and an elderly, housebound woman on the other side. It is possible, then, that either neighbor could be secretly saving their trash and using our can – and it’s understandable to me that some people simply cannot afford to pay their bills, so maybe the trash bill is the logical one to go. And hey, we’re not using our garbage can, so why not let someone else use the space?
On the other hand, it’s the principle of the thing. We’re living a garbage-free year here, and now the garbage man could think we’re cheating! If it wasn’t for the Green Garbage Project, we’d have no problem with a neighbor throwing an extra bag in the garbage can once in a while. But this year? I want a clean record – I want nothing from our can heading toward the dump.
So what do you think? Ignore the garbage squatters or take measures to prevent other people’s trash from winding up in our can? The irony of this dilemma is just laughable.
While we added nothing new to our shoebox this week (!), meaning I don’t have a picture to share, I did have a minor trash-related meltdown in the produce aisle on Saturday. Adam and I had just finished working out at the pool after a day of housework and yard chores, and we were swinging by the grocery store for some last-minute dinner stuff. We were having pizza, and I wanted to pick up salad fixings.
So there we were, in the produce section, trying to get in and out of the grocery store as quickly as possible, and I kept staring longingly at the premixed salad bags, which of course come in # 7 plastic and are not technically recyclable. I say “technically” because now that we’ve found AgriPlas, I have a plastic loophole, meaning if I ever slip up or have a weak moment and buy something encased in plastic, I have a legitimate way to recycle this. But still, recklessly buying plastic and pawning it off on AgriPlas isn’t really in the spirit of the project, so we’ve decided to use this option only as a last resort, not as a way to indulge cravings or dinner-preparing laziness. Instead, I bought the individual salad ingredients even though I was tired and REALLY didn’t want to peel and cut carrots, slice radishes, wash and tear lettuce, etc. It was when I was standing in the stinking checkout line that I realized that I was buying more packaging, albiet recyclable packaging, than if I’d bought the # 7 bagged plastic salad. The head of iceberg lettuce came wrapped in recyclable cling plastic, and so did the carrots. The radishes were rubber-banded and I had put them in a plastic bag since I didn’t have a cloth mesh version with me. Argh!
So here’s the rub – what is the best environmental choice, assuming I don’t forgo salad altogether? Should I have bought the premade salad in the nonrecyclable bag, or was I better off buying produce items wrapped in recyclable plastic? Why does produce have to be wrapped in plastic at all? The frustrating thing about this type of questions is that there’s really no right answer. No wonder the modern environmental consumer is so confused.
Speaking of recyclable plastic, I have updated the links page to include the following site, which I find comprehensive and helpful: www.plasticbagrecycling.org Click on “consumers” and you’ll find a neat page with pictures that explains what types of plastic packaging can generally be recycled with grocery sacks at your local store. There’s also a store locator to help you find a plastic drop-off location. Happy recycling!
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um, sorry if this sounds dense, but if you are trying to live a garbage free year (and sound like you’re doing an awesome job), why not cancel your garbage service and put the garbage can out of sight so it can’t get used?
in my neighborhood i wish they’d USE my garbage can rather than toss stuff on the sidewalk/street
We have street side vendors(Bangalore, India) who doesn’t wrap vegetables in plastic though they usually put all the stuff in plastic bags. So if you go with a reusable bag, you can come away without any plastic.
do you have to put veg produce (like the radishes) in a plastic bag? after all they have grown in the ground already and been picked, transported etc. putting them on the conveyor in the supermarket is not really going to make them so much dirtier than they’ve already been! i just put my vegetables straight on the conveyor. i get some funny looks from checkout people sometimes, but they weigh the vegetables no problem!
I think you shouldn’t throw anything away in the actual garbage can for a year, so save up the kitty littr in your garbage can, see how much you actually use. Then if you don’t have your can there, people can put their garbabge in it. Also it’s illegal for people to do that, so you can call your garbage service and they will refer to someone who can investigate. All garbage companies weigh the garbage, and if someone had been going over and now suddenly doesn’t they can figure out who was stealing your garbage space/weight.
Thanks all for the comments. As far as why we don’t just cancel our garbage service, it’s because garbage and recycling pickup are tied into one bill. We defintely want to keep the recycling, so will pay for the full deal. Besides, we do throw away the used kitty litter, which is not something that can sit around for a year, waiting for the project to be complete.
My feeling is that it is better that they put the garbage in your can than scattered it in the neighborhood. You might want to put a note in the lid that says you are aware of what they are doing and you would like to show them how to reduce their waste.
I am not entirely sure whether you are still trying to be completely green, or even still concerned about the plastic for produce, but you could always bring in those recyclable mesh bags used for produce in stores. It is rather like bringing in your own bag for groceries like you normally do. http://www.grassrootsstore.com/reuseablemeshproducebag10pack.aspx
I really support this blog and I am reading every entry. I am going to attempt to do the same next year, and I am pretty excited for it
Shay, of COURSE I’m still trying to be completely trash-free! This journey has just begun.
Thank you for the tip about the mesh produce bags. In fact, I already use these on every shopping trip. I love them and highly recommend them. You can read more about mesh produce bags here: http://greengarbageproject.adammathiasdesign.com/?p=423
Good luck on your trash-free journey. If you have questions, let me know and I’m happy to help.