Waste Series: Part 6: My Waste Contribution

by Mia de Castro

August 14, 2020

To conclude this series, I wanted to bring these concepts back to an individual level. I decided to track my waste production for 1 week to visualize how much we actually waste* and how we can combat our individual output.

Waste Output (1 week)

Food

• 5 banana peels

• Some kiwi peels

• Some mango peels

• 2 nectarine pits

• 1 avocado pit

Plastic

• Plastic packaging from 2 straws

• 1 plastic popcorn bag

• 2 straws

• 2 plastic boba cups

• 2 plastic raspberry containers

• 1 tofu container

• 1 plastic salad container

Metal

• A piece of aluminum foil

• 1 coconut milk can

Paper

• Assorted papers

Other

• 4 used paper towels**

*Please note that I live a relatively plant-based lifestyle, so I probably consume more organic (compostable) food than the average American.

I sorted each piece of trash into its respective category so I can evaluate how I could have reduced this waste.

All of the food items could have been easily composted, especially because my city has compost bins next to traditional dumpsters. By composting, I would lessen my carbon footprint since food items that decompose in compost bins contribute less GHGs.

Unfortunately, not all the plastic items are recyclable. The straws and their packaging, along with the plastic boba cups are not recyclable. However, I could have easily avoided this intake of plastic if I was more eco-conscious. Most establishments will accept (or even sell) reusable cups for their drinks, so consumers can limit their single-use plastic intake (Boba cups are especially harmful since they are a combination of flexible and firm plastic, which makes it unrecyclable in most cases.). Additionally, plastic straws can be replaced by metal straws that can be bought in many places either online or in-store (think large convenience stores or even smaller boutiques). By bringing my own reusable ware, I would be able to limit my contribution to landfill plastics (I understand that some establishments may have different regulations amid the pandemic, and it is important to respect these rules as well).

Even though flexible plastics are not recyclable, flexible metal products generally are. All types of aluminum products can be recycled over and over again, so even the foil is recyclable. Food cans are also recyclable, despite often lacking the recycling triangle imprinted on their packaging.

**I categorized two different paper products in different categories because they would be processed in different ways. The assorted papers would be recycled as they were dry and whole. However, after using paper towels, they become soiled. Therefore, they need to be composted instead of recycled.

This breakdown shows that we are all able to be more eco-friendly in our daily lives without much effort. Although large corporations are the main antagonists regarding harmful environmental change, it is important that we, as individuals, should also try to minimize our environmental impact. Due to the United States’ lack of effective environmental policies, it is crucial that we try our best to lessen our individual impact and do what we can. I hope to further elaborate on how we can incorporate more sustainability into our daily lives.