The USA Green Lady  

Sometimes people think – out of sight – out of mind. What if you had to dispose of all your trash in your own yard? Would that make you think twice about disposing of items? Would that cause you to pause before throwing items in your trashcan?


I've been reading how groups are engaging in landfill wars regarding trying to get people to make the connection with all the waste that is created and disposed of such as everyday items like plastic water bottles or plastic shopping bags. Some groups are trying to bring about awareness of the fact that people can bottle their own water by using non-disposable containers. With using your own container, you know the source of your water but you also are saving energy by not having water bottled, shipped and then recycled again. This points to the carbon footprint of bottled water. Another item that seems to be so prevalent everywhere in everyday usage is the plastic shopping bag. With the style and technology of small portable bags, it should be easy to carry and extra shopping bag around with you, however many people do not. This is one of the easiest things to do, but many retailers frown upon it. The retailers explain that by placing the items that you purchase in a shopping bag it is their way of knowing that the items have been properly purchased.



Our family of 7 took on the daunting task of writing down all the items in one week that we threw out in a trashcan. We kept a piece of paper on the side of the refrigerator and every time that we placed an item in the trashcan, we had to write it down on the paper. By the end of our week, I was amazed at the paper that stretched to the floor. We are adamant recyclers, but there are some things that our small town does not recycle. We had to take the time to look at the paper at the end of the week and figure out if there were ways that we would dispose of less. It really took quite a bit of imagination and thought on all the members of my family.



One item that I knew that I could do was to make sure to keep a reusable portable tote bag in my purse as I went about my day. I found that I was better off having one in my purse, two in my car and one in the pocket of my jacket. The days of having large and not-so easy totes are happily gone as many conscious consumers have demanded convenient totes. As my day progressed, I was amazed at the reaction that I received when I said "no thanks" to a plastic bag and provided my own. In one day I had 4 people say that I could not use it and only one of them say that it was a bit of a problem, but they would allow me to use it. Who knew that being green and responsible would create such a stir.


My challenge to you is to live consciously and write down how much you dispose of in a week and think about ways to not add to our already over crowded landfills.

The USA Green Lady

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