Reducing waste...really?

Reducing waste…

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces about 4.4 pounds (2 kg) of garbage a day, or a total of 29 pounds (13 kg) per week and 1,600 pounds (726 kg) a year. This only takes into consideration the average household member and does not count industrial waste or commercial trash. If this sounds like a staggering number, you would be surprised to know that Americans are not the number one producers of garbage in the world. In Mexico, for example, the average household produces 30 percent more garbage than in America.(http://www.wisegeek.org/how-much-garbage-does-a-person-create-in-one-year.htm) 

Since garbage is considered one of the harmful issues to care our environment, for a four day period I have done an experiment: "To measure my waste for two days", after that, for two more days I've tried to improve new techniques in order to reduce my everyday waste. Then, let's see what happened.

First: my two day's waste is described with the above pictures. 

Empty plastic bottles

My 2 days recyclable waste

My 3 pounds waste for three days

Second: My two days waste quantity was: 

           3 pounds of waste

2.        1 ½ pound of recyclables

3.        2 pounds of organic waste (I use this as a organic fertilizer in my garden)  

4         ½  of a pound of empty bottles (we sell them back)

I’d say that I was raised in a natural environment; for example, my father loves and cares nature; as a daughter I've taught to be kind with earth because there is only one to care: “our planet”. Also, I’m very fortunate to live in a place “environmental friendly”. I’m not saying that we as a living community are perfect, I’m not. But, we have been improving in many aspects since last January, for example: we have gotten white recycles dumpsters. I have lived here for three years, so for more than two years we didn't have them.

One of  three mixed recycling dumpster at my apartment community

1.         Third: Discounting my organic waste, since I use it as fertilizer to my garden's plants. 

This is organic waste that I reuse in my garden, so I never trough it away with the other waste.  

Since I use my organic waste back to earth, and I sell back my empty bottles they won’t be included in my experiment. Then, my total waste for two day was approximately 4 ½ pounds.

Planting my organic waste

It provides good organic matter to my orange tree. For example this year I have gotten a harvest of 855 oranges!

Fourth: The next two days results:

During the next two days, I have tried to improve with my plastic waste. Since everybody knows how harmful is plastic to our environment, it is really hard to get rid of plastic (since almost everything that we buy comes with plastic L! Now, my waste was just 3 pounds. So, I have improved in more than a pound. But, What I really did well this time? I believe I have stopped using plastic garbage bags; instead, I have used one that I got while shopping. Also, I started to use my own bag when I go shopping groceries, moreover, by doing this I have gotten 5 cents back for any own bag. For example, the picture below shows my empty bottles (since I have stopped buying plastic bottled juices) it has decreased considerably. 

The next two days I just get one empty can. 

Lastly: My conclusions

To conclude with my experiment, I'm working hard to pursue a couple of goals, for example:  from now to July I'll be using my own bags while shopping almost everything (buying clothes, pet’s supplies, etc.) Also, since it is too hard to find substitutes for plastic, I will improve by buying refillable  products, or bigger sizes of some products in order to avoid to many plastic empty containers. 

It is really hard trying to live without plastic, but it won't be impossible to pursue it. 

Also, I’ve stopped buying: zip lock’s plastic bags, trash plastic bags, any plastic containers, bottled juices (this has been hard) I will try to do my own natural juice by doing this we also will improve in our sugar intake J )