The goal, as inhabitants of this earth, is to leave it as close to the way we found it as possible. This is not easy. We humans create alot of trash. Humans created landfills. We create throw-away products that are packaged in tons of excess plastic wrap+cardboard. We create aluminum beverage cans, plastic soda+water bottles, glass bottles, and good old plastic grocery bags…This should change. And little by little, it’s starting to! (Check out this NEW+AMAZING package-free, waste-free grocery in Austin, TX!!!)
So it’s not impossible. Until we’re all able to buy things without packaging, we can put our junk in it’s place. There are more places to put it when you’re finished with it than you would think. So before you throw ANYTHING away, please consider this:
Recycle what you can. Try to compost food scraps from your kitchen. And try not to buy anything that doesn’t fit into one of those two categories. On top of doing these things, I recently took a giant bag of fashions to Buffalo Exchange where your trash can become someone else’s treasure! They bought a bunch of clothes from me for $70 bucks! (Which went right into my travel fund:) The stuff they didn’t buy, in addition to some random sheets, towels, and unmatched socks I no longer need, I took to a Textile Recycling Center in The Union Square Greenmarket! The useable clothing items are shipped to South America where people are in need. And the rest is recycled into things like wall insulation! I feel awesome + my apartment is slowly but surely becoming clutter-free!
(No, these bags in the photo are not all mine.. :)
In closing, what I’m trying to say is that everything DOES have it’s place. And as far as junk goes, that place does not have to be a landfill.
Here are 5 simple steps to start composting in your apartment! We just started doing it and it’s super easy! If you need more information, the LES Ecology Center is a great resource for FAQs.
- Get a small bucket, bio bag, or other reusable container.
- Start putting kitchen scraps in this container instead of in the trash! It can be stored under the sink, in the fridge, or in the freezer (wherever it’s convenient for you).
- Fill up your container with acceptable food scraps such as: fruit and vegetable peelings
non greasy food scraps or leftovers
rice, pasta, bread, cereal, etc.
coffee grounds with filter, tea bags
hair and nails (animal or human)
egg and nut shells
cut or dried flowers, houseplants, potting soil
- When your container is full, take it to the LES Ecology composting collection site at the Union Square Greenmarket on M/W/F/Sa or at their Community Garden, north side of East 7th Street between Avenues B and C!
- Repeat steps 2-4. Viola! You now compost :)
If u see it, grab it, or log onto www.thewgnews.com! Whether you live in North Brooklyn or not, the section on green living holds a wealth of knowledge+is only 7 pages long! The first article is all about composting, followed by other green tips, recycling questions answered, and more! I’m so excited to see my neighborhood paper discussing such important+relevant topics. I implore you to become part of the the conversation by educating yourself (and reading my blog…duh! :)
Ok so, according to my AMNY today, city officials in some parts of LA have voted to ban plastic bags from being given out in any store by next year!! I mean, it makes sense since these bags that most of us use everyday take over 1,000 years to decompose! I hope NYC (and the whole world!) will ban the bags too. I wonder if we can help make this happen??? GO LA!!!
