Recycling Incentives

From experience, recycling is not the same from state to state and probably just as different from town to town. Our experience in Chicago and Florida were nearly identical, just rinse and put all items together in one bin. But in Colorado, this is not the case. (see previous post)

There was one difference between Florida and Chicago. Our town in Chicago had an interesting recycling system that built in a financial incentive for recycling. Each bag of trash required a $2.?? Sticker you bought at the grocery store, but recyclables were free. We made it a point to recycle absolutely everything and could sometimes make it by with only 1 or 2 bags of paid trash. We’ve had to be a bit more altruistic in our motivations for recycling here, which probably contributed to my procrastination in finding out the rules in our new town. In Illinois, new residents were sent a brochure explaining the system, but Colorado trash is all privately managed, and I wonder if the rules are different for each company. With our current company, we didn’t receive any information about recycling (that I know of). Technically, we get charged as a one can family or a two can family. Recycling helps to stay a one can family (though we could just buy a bigger can since ours is small).

Recycling Transitions

It’s been three or four garbage days now that I’ve been recycling in Colorado. When we moved in, I was sad we left our recycling bin in Illinois, and decided to go to Home Depot right away to get a new one. Assuming that recycling was the same nationally, I didn’t think this would be an issue.

When we got to the HD, we went straight to the back where the trash cans are and scanned the huge shelves, looking for the friendly blue bins with the white recycling logo. None. We looked at each other quizzically and found a woman with an orange apron. “Where are the recycling bins?” we asked. She said, “Well, if we have them, they would be here, but they aren’t a big seller here, so it doesn’t look like we have any.”

What could we say but, “Oh.”?

It was a bit confusing and not just a little humorous to us that in a state where they don’t use salt on ice to preserve the environment, a recycling bin could not be found in the Home Depot…because there wasn’t a market for them!

So we continued to throw recyclables in the trash. First the excuse was that we were in transition, and then it was the pregnancy and newborn stage. Finally, after seeing the recycling truck go by the house for two and a half years, I called our trash company and had a pleasant 5 minute conversation with the woman at our trash company. She simply and politely explained the rules, and in doing so, raised my respect for Colorado tremendously. All that I needed to do was to separate glass, cans, paper and plastics (1 and 2 only). I should put them each out in a separate bag, paper or plastic, and the trash people would put them in the recycling part of their truck. No need for a plastic bin that would itself need to be recycled someday, just put recyclables in something recyclable and you’re good to go.

Paper bags seem to be easier to use for separating items. So, this whole process has made me finally bold enough to answer “paper” to the “paper or plastic” question at the grocery store, though I’ve noticed that the baggers aren’t well trained in how to pack them anymore.

The Ziplock Challenge

Ziplock bags are such a useful invention. They keep food dry and air out so our food stays good longer. They are good for keeping something clean that needs to stay (nearly) germ-free. They are wonderful organizers, helping to keep small things in useful categories and not spread all over the house. For families with children under 3, they are great for popping choking hazards into so you don't have to throw away all your daughter's Barbie shoes. Even if the baby did gete a hold of the bag, the challenge of the zip gives you enough time to confiscate the item before there is any real danger. For air travel, ziplocks are a lifesaver when your shampoo and lotion explode inside your luggage.

But the use of ziplock bags in our world is growing, and it seems to be getting a bit excessive. For awhile, they were a regular item on my grocery list, and I began to wonder where all that plastic was going. In the trash, of course. I started to think that maybe there were some ways to diminish my use of the bags, without making this useful tool the enemy. Much like my thoughts on disposable diapers. Use them for when nothing else makes sense, but don't use them when you don't have to.

I think it's been about a month now since I stopped buying ziplocks at my normal grocery run. I've had to be creative on how to get some basic chores done.

Packing lunches without ziplocks. I've identified several very small reusable plastic containers in my house that my grade schooler can open unassisted. This seems to be working out great.

Storing food. Again, tupperware is the solution I've used mostly. Not keeping food I know I won't eat just to make myself feel better has also helped.

I still reserve the right to use the ziplock. My working guidelines are for 1. sanitatary reasons, 2. emergencies (a soiled set of clothes on the go), 3. packing for trips, 4. for teachers and educational purposes, and 5. the classic pet goldfish in a bag.

These are, of course, working guidelines, and I am encouraged that I have been able to diminish my consumption quite significantly.

Diaper Dilemma

I have a friend that I admire for making the decision to use cloth diapers for her three kids. I don't know how she has done it. It seems like so much extra work. I haven't been so kind to the environment. For most of my kids' diaper time, I didn't even dump the poop in the toilet because, to be honest, it really wasn't dumpable. Now, my last child is in the final stretch before potty training, and I'm wondering, "How do I reduce my stinky affect on the environment without driving myself crazy or trying to potty train a child who isn't ready?" I can't undo the last 7 years of diapers on the curb, but there has to be something I can do. Dumping the contents in the toilet (when possible) is a start. I also have a pile of washable plastic pants that I could use when I'm home, and still use the disposables while I'm out of the house. Any other thoughts from moms out there?

Delayed Consumption

Look what I found! I went out to the garage and AMAZING, the artificial tree I talked about before was not in the landfill after all, but sitting neatly packed in its box on a shelf. We put it up, vacuumed, and as you can see, it looks just beautiful. We gave it a pine scented spray, and now we almost believe it's real. One more year of delayed consumption equals one more tree left on the mountainside to grow and one more artificial tree that doesn't need to come off the assembly line.

Oh, and by the way, the lights from last year did work, so I can put off figuring out a green lighting solution until next year. Let's hear it for delayed consumption! Who would have figured there was an upside to indecision?

Picture Perspective

When my preschooler brought in a picture of his Papa for show and tell, the teacher asked him, "Does this picture go in a book or a stack?" He looked at her quizzically and didn't know what to say. When she told me the story, I immediately knew the reason for his confusion. The answer was, "They go in the computer!"

For a long time I felt guilty at not having all my pictures beautifully cropped and layed out on acid free, color coordinated paper. Today, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am choosing to throw off all that negativity and be thankful that I have saved all that paper from being stored away in boxes with all my pre-digital camera photos.

Maybe when I'm ready to get my photos off the computer and into the tangible world, I will have thought of a greener way to go. I suddenly have an urge to back up my data...

Coping with Prosperity

I put a pile of goldfish in front of my little one, hoping to get enough time to load the dishwasher. Instead, I find myself two minutes later sweeping a pile on the floor. I’ve found that it’s more effective to give her two at a time, even though it means walking back and forth across the kitchen. We say in our house that kids can’t deal with prosperity. Put them in a room full of toys and they’re bored. Put them in an empty room with one toy and they can keep themselves busy indefinitely. Now why wouldn’t more fish keep her busy eating longer than two?

My theory is that it is a way of coping with prosperity. There is just too much everywhere. People ask, why are kids so different than in year’s past? Actually, I see a change in behavior in people of all ages. We’ve all had to go away from the finishing your plate idea because there’s just always too much on the plate! Kids turn their nose up at food because their bodies know they’ve had enough. Now they haven’t always had enough of the right stuff, but they’ve had enough calories to deal with for the moment.

But there is something that feels good about having a full plate. I keep a stack of two different size cups, one from a kids’ yogurt pack, the other from the Pringles single packs, and use them to serve snacks in. This way, the kids feel like I gave them something full, when I actually haven’t given them much at all…and I find I’m sweeping up a lot less.