Gold award winner, Nonfiction Book Awards“A helpful, well-written guide to making the most of recycling and composting.” - Kirkus ReviewsIf you want to reduce the amount of waste you generate but aren’t sure where to begin, Rethink the Bins shows you how. You will gain knowledge so you
Understand what happens to waste after the bins leave your curb or buildingImplement best practices for recycling and compostingFeel empowered to start with small changes that make a differenceCreate SMART goals around waste reduction and recycling“This well-researched guide clears up the many myths and mysteries of what happens to the nearly 8 pounds of trash we Americans each create daily,” says author James Dillehay. “It should be required reading to help future generations embrace a circular economy.”
When you're done reading this book and completing the waste tracking worksheets, you
Know how to better manage your waste at home and awayFeel more confident that the items you toss into recycling and compost bins are actually being recycled or compostedFiguring out what to toss where is not as hard as it might seem. Once you have made changes at home, you will probably want to share the message with your friends and neighbors. Please do!
One person or one family can make a tiny difference. Thousands or millions of households doing the same can change the world.
Let's pave a path to a less wasteful future and recycling that works!
Julia L F Goldstein is the award-winning author of Material Value, where she shares her passion for materials and sustainability. Her company, JLFG Communications, produces white papers, articles, and other website content for purpose-driven manufacturing companies.
Julia is active in her local writing community and leads the Seattle chapter of the Nonfiction Authors Association. When she’s not writing, she enjoys playing flute and piccolo and participating in triathlons.
A nice short and easy to read book about what actually happens to our garbage and recycling. The refreshing thing about it is that Goldstein is very realist in her hopes and expectations, and she acknowledges the limitations in our system, especially now during the coronavirus pandemic where everything we were trying seems to be upended. She mainly is trying to get people to think of ways they can do something or a little more to be more conscious of the items we buy and throw away. Just a few things I learned: - small pieces of plastic (such as unattached water bottle lids and smaller) should be put in the trash because they end up contaminating recyclable glass - plastic bags are a problem for recyclers and it's better to reuse and eventually recycle them at the grocery store than in the blue city bin, or at least put them all together in one - even trash bags are a problem, and the recyclable items going into the blue bin should not be bagged but thrown in loosely - it's important to check your local recycling services to see what they really accept (mine actually accepts a LOT)
In fact, checking your local services is advice that is given over and over in the book, to the point where I even wondered if the book might be pointless. But I actually learned a number of things from it and feel more motivated to try a little harder.
Julia L.F. Goldstein offers environmental research and information in her upcoming book Rethink the Bins: Your Guide to Smart Recycling and Less Household Waste. Her first book, Material Value covered a lot of manufacturing processes and a little household advice. On the other hand, Rethink the Bins is entirely directed at our individual households. It’s full of detailed everyday advice and planning worksheets.
Goldstein’s writing style is mostly businesslike. Even so, she’s admirably transparent about her own household’s exploration of this process. More importantly, she breaks down the most common types of household waste. Then she explains what’s most or least recyclable. How easy it is to recycle each material depends on your community’s policies. And in the last few years, a lot of places changed what could be recycled curbside. Goldstein explains that as well.
Since I live in small-town Pennsylvania, my recycling options are a bit different than the author’s. Perhaps that’s because she lives in the environmentally conscious Pacific Northwest. But either way, if you’re motivated to keep recyclable materials out of landfills this is a terrific resource.
Goldstein explains what to look for in your community guidelines. Next, she introduces alternatives if curbside recycling isn’t available for all your household waste. She even introduces readers to composting food waste.
My conclusions One major section in Rethink the Bins is about tracking your household waste—by pound, item, or volume. The average household generates between 4.5 and 8 pounds of waste per person per day. It’s an astounding figure if you start multiplying just your own household and nearby community. Expand to your state and country, and it’s both staggering and motivating.
A few years ago, one of our nephews and his wife decided to save a year’s worth of household waste. Why? Because their new apartment didn’t have recycling facilities. So, they collected plastic, magazines, glass, and metal waste. At the end of the year, they did a photo shoot. It’s a great visual to go with Goldstein’s book.
I recommend Rethink the Bins if you’re curious or concerned about the state of recycling in your household, community, and the world. Watch for its publication date on November 30, 2020.
Pair it with something else about the environment, either related to climate change or materials usage.
Acknowledgements Many thanks to the author for an advanced readers’ copy in exchange for this honest review.
The release of Julia Goldstein's first book, Material Value: More Sustainable, Less Wasteful Manufacturing of Everything from Cell Phones to Cleaning Products was timed with Earth Day 2019. Her follow-up, Rethink the Bins is even more direct and simple and includes fourteen worksheets to help readers track and reduce their waste.
I have a long-time interest in recycling dating from the first Earth Day way back in 1970. Back then I organized a clean-up of my high school’s grounds—and was threatened with expulsion if us "hippies" did anything untoward. Thus I was eager to read both Goldstein’s book, Material Value, and its followup Rethink the Bins. She is highly qualified, having a PhD in materials science and has worked as an engineer before migrating to journalism. Despite her extensive intellectual prowess, I found Material Value and Rethink the bins to be easy to read and follow. They are goldmines of information.
Determining what is “green” and what isn’t is harder to figure out than one would think—thus the worksheets are a big help. Goldstein reiterates time and again to check with the authorities in your city to be sure you're recycling appropriately. I learned that the lids to soda should be thrown into the trash rather than the recycling. Throwing in the wrong stuff can contaminate the process.
If you’re interested in saving our plant through greener living, these books are a good place to start your research and can guide you into further topics and into a greener life.
I received a copy of Rethink the Bins from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Received an advanced reader's copy courtesy of NetGalley. Great summary for someone who is starting to think about the waste they produce. It'll make you look at consumption and throwing away with a different lens. Would even be a great gift for a teen who is looking for new ideas. Just a note that most resources and references are US based.
Rethink the Bins gave a simple and concise breakdown of how the recycling process realistically works. I learned a lot of helpful tidbits in general about certain parts of the process for recycling certain items that I never thought about. I think we tend to lump everything with a recycle symbol into one big bag and assume it magically gets turned into something new and useful. This book debunks that line of thinking. It discusses the processes of recycling as a whole like linear or circular economy. Goldstein also breaks down general guidance for various types of recycling such as paper, plastic, glass, e-waste, and other odd items. While she does mention resources that are only local to the Seattle or West Coast area, she also provides nationally recognized organizations that can be utilized. She also mentions alternatives or uses for products that don't involve taking them to a physical recycling center. Worksheets that are referenced and discussed throughout the book that help you in your reassessment of your recycling practices are also available online at her website as well. Very nifty and accessible. While some of the specific recommendations can't be utilized if your area doesn't offer access to them, it's still a great guide for understanding the realities of recycling and how you can bring your best recycling game. This book understands that it's not feasible to believe that most people who try to start recycling will be able to do so with 100% effectiveness. This book gives a "do your best with what you have as you can" energy. I think that mentality will give more hope for amateur recyclers to start and stick with the process. It did so for me.
Four out of five stars. Simple and sweet, informative and useful, and tidy worksheets to help you on your quest.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC of this title.
This short book with 5 chapters provides useful information on where waste goes, how recycling and composting is done in the USA, and suggests options for handling 10 different materials, including food waste, yard trimmings and e-waste.
While the information on recycling and composting rules and policies are American-oriented, I think it helps to give those of us who are not in the USA great pointers on what to look out for or research on in our own environment.
Much of the practical ideas on how to prevent wastage is helpful and may be applicable wherever you live. I had hoped for a lot more tips on how to prevent food wastage though!
The final chapter shows how we can track our waste with the view of reducing it. I don't think I will be doing that but people who like to collect data can assess how they are doing using either the complicated method or the easy method with worksheets provided in the book or on the author's website.
She also makes available fillable worksheets which you can fill in to keep track of the destinations for all your different types of household wastes.
I like that the author wrote an epilogue to give a few alternative tips considering the new Covid19 situation.
I often like to check the background of non-fiction writers to see if they really know what they are talking about. It was reassuring to see that besides being a professional writer, Julia Goldstein also holds an advanced degree in materials science, and have had a fascination for materials like metals and plastics since college. She also practices what she preaches!
I found this book interesting and informative, in a concise and easy to read style. The information about what happens to your waste and the recycling and disposal possibilities is very well presented. It focuses on the US but it provides readers in other countries with a start point that will help them research what is possible in their country. It is helpful for those who are already familiar with the topic or for the beginner recyclers. The author offers a series of lists which can be used to track our waste and to set goals for improvement. I am personally not a list person but I appreciate that these lists can be helpful to get started in the family or household. I found that the lists also helped me to think about my own habits and how I can go further to contribute to a society that creates less waste. This type of books sometimes make one feel really inadequate and guilty when the authors appear perfect. In this book Julia Goldstein was prepared to share her own story, what her family had to improve, and examples of what they did. Reducing our waste footprint is no easy endeavor and it felt good to get a friendly push, lots of tips and shared experience, The epilogue or this book brings us to the hard reality that in our COVID-19 times, the trend has unfortunately been to an increase in waste production and this is one more reason why we should read this book and think about what we can do, on our own scale, to rethink our bins.
Rethink the Bins is your everyday guide on recycling in the US. The author does mention recycling tips for overseas but mostly focuses on resources within the United States. This book would be a great resource for anyone wherever they are on their recycling/sustainable living journey. The author's writing is clear and concise, easy for any recycling beginners to follow, and provides a nice refresher for any seasoned recyclers.
There are five sections where the author walks the reader through how to start/become more mindful of recycling in their own home. She describes the different kinds of recyclable materials, how collection companies sort materials, and how they might break down those materials and recycle them. The author then explains in actionable steps how the reader can examine their own waste habits and make a plan to recycle more.
In my opinion, the most valuable parts of this book are the worksheets. This is where readers can finally sit down and examine how much waste they are actually producing and come up with concrete ways to reduce that amount. The inclusion of these worksheets is what elevates this guide above others I've seen. Not only is the author giving readers the information, but she also gives readers a place to store that information and plan their next steps. I think this book is a must-have in every home.
“Rethink the Bins” by Julia F. Goldstein is a quick read all about our waste, the different kinds of waste, and what we can each do to reduce our personal waste.
The best thing about this book was the practicality. Goldstein acknowledges the difficulty of recycling. Some areas don’t have recycling pickup. Each area has different rules about what to recycle. Some people have composting opportunities, others do not. But Goldstein still gives practical advice (and worksheets!) for every situation.
I also found it interesting to see how waste management works. Often, it can feel like recycling won’t do much in the big picture, but knowing how the process works helps readers to see the bigger picture.
The biggest takeaway I had from this book was finding out what my county accepts for recycling and what their parameters are. There are a lot of ways to “contaminate” your recyclables, causing the whole bunch to be thrown out. Minimizing this would allow for greater results.
Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. It was helpful and informative, but I felt like there could have been more expansion on various parts of the book, especially for helping people who don’t think recycling is important or helpful. Definitely something to read if you want to be nature friendly!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bebo Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
“Rethink the Bins” by Julia F. Goldstein is a quick read all about our waste, the different kinds of waste, and what we can each do to reduce our personal waste.
The best thing about this book was the practicality. Goldstein acknowledges the difficulty of recycling. Some areas don’t have recycling pickup. Each area has different rules about what to recycle. Some people have composting opportunities, others do not. But Goldstein still gives practical advice (and worksheets!) for every situation.
I also found it interesting to see how waste management works. Often, it can feel like recycling won’t do much in the big picture, but knowing how the process works helps readers to see the bigger picture.
The biggest takeaway I had from this book was finding out what my county accepts for recycling and what their parameters are. There are a lot of ways to “contaminate” your recyclables, causing the whole bunch to be thrown out. Minimizing this would allow for greater results.
Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. It was helpful and informative, but I felt like there could have been more expansion on various parts of the book, especially for helping people who don’t think recycling is important or helpful. Definitely something to read if you want to be nature friendly!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bebo Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
Rethink the Bins from Julia Goldstein, is a quick read that breaks down the confusion and intimidation of recycling. While going through the basics, Goldstein also reminds readers that each town is different and that we need to be doing some quick research ourselves to know what our local guidelines are. She lays out different definitions and explanations of the process of recycling so that readers are educated enough to know which steps to take next. This is a book that we, as a country, have needed for a long time. Recycling does not need to be a confusing or intimidating task. Goldstein gives readers the tools to understand why each place has different rules and restrictions for their waste management programs, and what we as consumers can do to utilize those programs most effectively.
Rethink the Bins was a good explanation of how recycling works and how to recycle properly. It’s made for US readers but was interesting to me as a Canadian. Even for US readers you will need to look up your local recycling and waste management laws as every city is different.
The author provides worksheets as well so you can track how much waste your house generates as well as allowing you to make goals for better waste management. I plan to track our garbage use at least so see where we are and see if we need to make some changes.
The book isn’t overly long which is good because most people don’t have a lot of time now a days. I appreciate also reading a book about recycling from someone who doesn’t pretend to be the perfect zero waste person. If that were the case, I wouldn’t assume I could make a difference.
I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reduce, reuse, recycle. I've been hearing this phrase for at least 30 years. I recycle, as our city collects sorted stuff for recycling, only to learn after several years that all my sorting goes to the same place- the land fill. I often wonder about how seriously, we, as in all of us on the planet, take recycling? Plastic straws are the latest bugbears, but no has so much as uttered a peep about disposable diapers, plastic water bottles(really? You NEED to have a bottle of water with you at ALL times? What are you you? A fish??) and now, the latest environmental hazard- masks. Yes the book is timely, and has loads of ideas, and suggestions. There are even diagrams. Good read, just not likely to happen. Sad. Sorry.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I wanted to read this book to learn more about recycling and it definitely did not disappoint. It's a short, fast read but is full of helpful information about what is recyclable, how recycling works, and how it can be improved. I feel more confident now about what I can recycle, as well as what not to do with my recyclables. There are several types of worksheets included, such one for waste tracking and a recycling action plan.
Goldstein has a winner in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and recommend it for anyone who is just starting out recycling and for those who are ready to learn more.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC. Well researched and very informative on what actually happens to our garbage and recyclables when they leave our houses. Practical ideas to recycle more effectively or better yet, reduce what we buy/waste. Worksheets help set realistic goals and track results.
If you know nothing about recycling, MRF’s or want actionable ways to rethink what’s you’re tossing this may be for you. Some good worksheets if that’s your thing also. Overall a quick read and a good primer.
A book for those who are thinking or want to think differently about how they dispose of items. Along the lines in a combination of minimalism or reducing your footprint. How to think a bit different.
A short book looking at what is thrown away in the USA and the difficulties in recycling and the mass amount of waste that is produced. Very well researched and lots of tips for looking at your waste. Although based in the USA there are tips that can be used by all, wherever you live. Writing was well written. Only issue is Kindle format, which was extremely small and could not be enlarged. Thank you to author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read in return for a review.
Rethink the Bins is your everyday guide on recycling in the US. The author does mention recycling tips for overseas but mostly focuses on resources within the United States. This book would be a great resource for anyone wherever they are on their recycling/sustainable living journey. The author's writing is clear and concise, easy for any recycling beginners to follow, and provides a nice refresher for any seasoned recyclers.
There are five sections where the author walks the reader through how to start/become more mindful of recycling in their own home. She describes the different kinds of recyclable materials, how collection companies sort materials, and how they might break down those materials and recycle them. The author then explains in actionable steps how the reader can examine their own waste habits and make a plan to recycle more.
In my opinion, the most valuable parts of this book are the worksheets. This is where readers can finally sit down and examine how much waste they are actually producing and come up with concrete ways to reduce that amount. The inclusion of these worksheets is what elevates this guide above others I've seen. Not only is the author giving readers the information, but she also gives readers a place to store that information and plan their next steps. I think this book is a must-have in every home.