Could you be a zero waste person?

[RandomAnthony]

An interesting article on huffington post about a "zero waste" family, e.g. one that doesn't produce waste for landfills, etc.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02...

Could you do this? I'm glad they picked someone who isn't a total hippy, from what I can tell, and I try not to generate much waste, but between the rest of the family and me we probably generate two bags of trash a week. You?

[Sally, la reina]

RandomAnthony wrote: "I'm glad they picked someone who isn't a total hippy..."

**snort**

[Jim]

We usually generate about a half a garbage bag of trash a week.

[Jammies]

I'm getting there--I recycle, I compost, and I try very hard to keep the stuff heading for the recycling bin at a minimum. Right now I'm trying to find homes for two oldish televisions since our county hazardous household waste disposal no longer takes electronics.

[Sarah]

Not zero. I could get down to pretty little waste, but not none.

[Sally, la reina]

I'm sorry. I back to comment constructively.

We fill a small trash can every week. I think it is about two kitchen bags and at least half a small bag in each room.
I'm proud of the fact that we don't also have another trash can full of disposable diapers, which we would if we were an average American family.

[Sally, la reina]

Yes. I use these big squares of unbleached cotton and covers. Pretty simple setup. It involves a hose connected to our toilet, but I don't much mind poo, so it is not a problem.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I recycle all paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum. Plastic bags get reused as garbage bags. But I don't compost, and I do produce some waste. Probably a lot less than most people.

[Aynge]

I changed all my light bulbs, I recylce, I use cloth grocery bags, I rarely drive anymore, but you are going to have to pry my Charmin out of my cold dead hands.

[Jammies]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I also have a septic tank, so although I'm not wild about the cost of having it emptied every seven years or so, that does help.

Thinking more about it, I'm probably as close to zero waste now as I'm ever going to get. I take 1-3 bags of recyclables out weekly and trash probably once a month (and usually the bin isn't full), but I do still generate some trash.

[Jim]

We have to have our emptied every three years.

[Kevin]

i am an avid recycler. we recycle glass, paper, plastic, foil, etc. i wash and rinse stuff out first too. we got rid of our trash pick-up (we have to pay in our rural area) and now just take one trash bag a week to my work dumpster. i really don't see us doing zero waste any time soon.

"co-mingle with me baby"

[Sarah]

I don't bring my own jars to the store, but I do bring my own reusable produce bags. The vendors at the farmer's market love 'em, and at the store they give me a bit of a confused look, but they're ok with it.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/46898432/...

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Those are very chic.