Trash-Free Difficulty

Living trash free really brings to light how much our world supports wasteful habits. Sometimes I feel like everywhere I turn is another trash can full to the brim with waste. The worst part is seeing ones that have easily recyclable material in them.

When you buy food, is the handful of napkins you grab really necessary?

How about all those plastic bags at the grocery store? Or even the paper ones? Trader Joe's uses two paper bags as one when they pack groceries, but I always tell them one is enough. I recycle all my paper bags, and plastic bags can't be curbside recycled, but most grocery stores have plastic bag recycle bins.

I am proud to say that I have significantly reduced my waste daily! Any food I can't finish when I'm out, I have to bring home for the compost. At school, the cafeteria doesn't have much of a recyclable selection. Today I bought a tuna croissant with salad. It comes prepacked in a plastic container which is completely recyclable. The utensils they use are eco-products too. I can take the utensils home and compost them or recycle them, depending on my mood.

Collecting compost is easy, its finding products that are 100% recyclable or at least reusable that's the issue. Yes water bottles are recyclable (except for the caps), but buying them in general is wasteful when you can buy a reusable, dishwasher safe bottle. I just always forget to bring mine to school, so I find myself running to the drinking fountain a lot more often.

A very sweet person reminded me that I can ride my bike anywhere I don't feel like walking. I would have thought of that if I had a bike, but I don't. Lucky for me, my roommates do and they're more than willing to share. Google is coming out with a bicycle Map application, so you can find the best routes to ride.

On the other hand, taking the bus isn't bad at all. The only problem with taking the bus is the timing. It usually runs late, but the more popular buses show up every 10-15 minutes at their stops. On the plus side, I love not having to drive. No looking for parking, no need to get gas, no possibility of an accident and therefore raise of my insurance payment; this shit is awesome!

I hope you checked out my Eco-Intro in last week's Corsair, if not you can always check it out online: The CorsairOnline.com

Look for this weeks composting article in the paper, and let me know what you think. For now, Stay Green Ponyboy!