Garbage Free week

[doggyfizzle]

Full disclosure, I’ve been researching this for a while, and it’s going to be tough.  Here’s the challenge:  for a full week, produce no direct trash that will not break down in a landfill or is not directed to compost, yard waste, or a recycling center.  This means:

1) pretty much no fast food or single use plastic cups, silverware etc
2) watch the combined plastic/cardboard packing in cereal etc.  in my area, the plastic inserts are Not recyclable.
3) grocery bags are forgone or used only if recyclable or compostable (like the new produce bags from Trader Joe’s.

Suggestions are appreciated if possible!

[Syonyk]

So, a week of canned foods?  Doesn't sound particularly cheap or healthy, but it meets your (arbitrary) requirements.

I think a far more interesting discussion is how to reduce waste streams, long term.  Given that I haul my own trash to the dump every ~4 months in a trailer, I'm quite interested in this.  Empirically, we don't produce much mass, just a lot of volume (filling an 8' trailer is only ~360lb of material, and I'd prefer to have that closer to 1000lb).  So, 2.9lb/day for our house for a 4 month period, which includes some significant "construction waste" (moving the ferret room and getting rid of their old stuff).

Things I'm working on:

- Aluminum cans go to be recycled.  The price is crap ($0.40/lb), but it's not taking up space that I need to haul.
- Tin cans are going to be recycled.  I didn't do this last time, and they take up a lot of volume in the trash that could be put to better use.
- I need to crush milk jugs, because they're not getting crushed, and take up a depressing amount of volume for their space.  You could use glass milk bottles and a milk delivery service, but... $$$$?
- Paper junk mail is a problem.  Wow, is it a problem.  That's a huge chunk of our trash volume.  I'm considering shredding it to reduce the volume, but that's still going to the dump.  I don't have a burner I can run it through, but I'm considering playing around with making paper logs out of it.  Alternately, I could start sending back the business reply envelopes secured to a rock, but it's a lot of charities and that's kind of a dick move.  Shredding it and putting it in the compost might work, but I need to research more on the inks used and what I can/can't safely run into the compost.
- Cardboard already goes to the shed for reuse, though I'm working on the details of the reuse.  Possibly sheet mulching with grass.

I don't think a one week challenge is particularly useful, TBH.  You can just defer the trash.  Figuring out how to make a more long term reduction in the trash stream is of far greater value.

[Plina]

So, a week of canned foods?  Doesn't sound particularly cheap or healthy, but it meets your (arbitrary) requirements.

I think a far more interesting discussion is how to reduce waste streams, long term.  Given that I haul my own trash to the dump every ~4 months in a trailer, I'm quite interested in this.  Empirically, we don't produce much mass, just a lot of volume (filling an 8' trailer is only ~360lb of material, and I'd prefer to have that closer to 1000lb).  So, 2.9lb/day for our house for a 4 month period, which includes some significant "construction waste" (moving the ferret room and getting rid of their old stuff).

Things I'm working on:

- Aluminum cans go to be recycled.  The price is crap ($0.40/lb), but it's not taking up space that I need to haul.
- Tin cans are going to be recycled.  I didn't do this last time, and they take up a lot of volume in the trash that could be put to better use.
- I need to crush milk jugs, because they're not getting crushed, and take up a depressing amount of volume for their space.  You could use glass milk bottles and a milk delivery service, but... $$$$?
- Paper junk mail is a problem.  Wow, is it a problem.  That's a huge chunk of our trash volume.  I'm considering shredding it to reduce the volume, but that's still going to the dump.  I don't have a burner I can run it through, but I'm considering playing around with making paper logs out of it.  Alternately, I could start sending back the business reply envelopes secured to a rock, but it's a lot of charities and that's kind of a dick move.  Shredding it and putting it in the compost might work, but I need to research more on the inks used and what I can/can't safely run into the compost.
- Cardboard already goes to the shed for reuse, though I'm working on the details of the reuse.  Possibly sheet mulching with grass.

I don't think a one week challenge is particularly useful, TBH.  You can just defer the trash.  Figuring out how to make a more long term reduction in the trash stream is of far greater value.

About the paper junk mail. I have contacted a lot of places and asked them to stop sending me catalogues and stuff. I have also contacted charities and asked them to stop. I told them that I will make donations when I want but I don’t want to have letters asking for these.

Here you can also put a sign on you mailbox that you don’t want ads and that has significantly reducerade the amount of stuff needed to recycle.

[Linea_Norway]

About junk mail, several countries in Europe have no-stickers that you can put on your mailbox. I gave had those for many years and hardly get junkmail. Try to get your country to introduce that as well.

We in Europe also recycle aluminium cans of all kinds. Beer cans have return money on them. Other cans are to be recycles with glass.

About the junkfood and single use cups. Junkfood you can just not buy. Plan ahead and make sure you don't need to buy junkfood. Bring a sandwich or a banana. At work, have a reusable coffee/tea cup and a glass for water. No need left for plastic cups. If you visit some place, plan ahead and bring a bottle of water along. The is all basic MMM money saving stuff

Produce bags are more difficult. But I have seen how people do this, they bring their own bags or containers. You will also need to visit shops that sell the produce loose, instead of in plastic wrapping. On the other hand, those plastic wrappings often contain a gas that keeps the vegetable fresh for longer. Removing the plastic makes it decay sooner and you might have to throw away food, which is not good either.

[Fresh Bread]

So, a week of canned foods?  Doesn't sound particularly cheap or healthy, but it meets your (arbitrary) requirements.

Why would it mean canned foods? Fresh fruit and veg come without packaging, there's bulk stores where you can buy cereals, nuts, flours etc using your own containers. Likewise some butchers will let you bring a container. When i did a plastic free month I bought corn in a can I think and that was about the only extra canned good (I normally get a frozen bag).

OP, do you have bulk stores near you where you can buy stuff loose? And are you already composting/worm farming? If so food wise it's not too hard, it will just take up a lot more time in shopping and food prep, you need to menu plan. For everything else, avoid the disposable / single use option and you are there.