SUPERHERO SUSTAINABILITY

Dig Deep Into Your Plastic Habits:

1) Make a note of how many disposable drink containers you use per day or week. Coffee? Milk? On-the-go refreshment? What about yogurt? Cottage cheese? Other?
Here’s the easy way to get your answers: Go through your day in your mind. Wake up. Get ready, eat, go to work, kids, etc… coffee, lunch, after-school, out to dinner? Supplements and medicines? Just write out the types of items you see yourself using throughout your day. Or just make check marks if that is easier.  Are different days of the week more trash-intensive than others?

2)  What are some of your reasons for needing this stuff? Top 5-10 reasons/feelings attached to the idea of saying no to half of these?

3) Now make a note of what day you empty your recycle bin and trash can.  Make separate notes. Do this for one week to count how many bags of each you create in a week.

Then… Answer these questions after doing the previous exercise for one week.

4) How many bags of trash do you take out per week? How many bags of recycle?

5) Take those numbers and multiply them (separately) by 52.  What are your totals?

What are those numbers? Well, THAT is approximately how many bags of trash and recycle your household disposes of per year! 

Thanks to the first exercise you did above, you even have an idea of WHAT is in your trash and recycle,  and the reasons you “feel the need” to use this disposable stuff. I bet you can create a lot less and feel great about it!