Shenanigans

Still surviving.

Last week we had an incident where I didn't think I would, though. 8 AM: making my lunch in the kitchen. Boyfriend flushes toilet upstairs. Kitchen sink fills with sewage, and it starts spewing all over the laundry room...
Needless to say, I let the landlord deal with that one. Unfortunately, the landlord and the plumber don't quite know about this project of mine. I came home after work to holes in the wall and yard...and drywall dust in our trash can.
After some research, I found that drywall can be composted, and some people till it directly into their gardens. Since I'm not sure what type this was, I decided to put it in the poop composter just to be safe. Do you have any idea how hard it is to move drywall dust with your bare hands, in blasting winds? Turns out it's not easy. It stuck to everything that was already in the trash can. Eventually I got out a satisfactory amount and gave up on the rest.
We also had a rug casualty due to this incident. Our laundry room carpet suffered serious complications from it's exposure to raw sewage, and had to be removed permanently. Kyle rolled it up and took it to a dumpster. I'm not sure if that counts as cheating or not, since the rug was at least twice the size of a 13-gallon trash can. I'm going to count it as an emergency disposal, and continue on with the rest of the project. Fair?

Then, this happened:

6 years old!!

This little guy turned 6 years old this past Saturday. For those who don't already know- Dane is Kyle's son, and I met him when he was 15 months old, wearing only a diaper. Now he doesn't even let me in the room when he's changing his clothes...(sigh). Anyway, we accidentally "planned" a party to take place on Saturday. My shopping for party supplies went pretty well- everything had an afterlife recycling or composting plan. Most everyone who came reads my blog, so they also knew to ask before they threw anything away. When it came time for dessert, I pulled out the cupcakes Grandma brought and realized a. these are going to be delicious and b. they have wax paper wrappers. I'm not aware of a recycling facility in the area that takes waxed paper covered in chocolate, and I'm getting mixed answers in my research about composting them. Anybody have a good solution for me?? They are still sitting around the house waiting for a proper resting place. 

The rest of the party went smoothly. I was able to save all the tissue paper and bags from presents, and will be reusing the wrapping paper somewhere, somehow. 

My dad also came up with a good idea for that ceramic plate in the trash- crushing it up and using it to fill holes in the driveway. I'll probably do that when the driveway isn't covered in snow. (Isn't it awesome that I'm taking more stuff out of the trash while hardly adding to it?!?)

So, unexpected trauma aside, January is still going well. 

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" 

12 down, 353 to go...

Time seems to fly until I think about how much more there is to go...BUT I think we're doing pretty well!

The recycling bin is spewing stuff all over the kitchen! Unfortunately, "Snowpocalypse 2014" kept me far, far away from the recycling drop off center...even though it's only 5 minutes away. 

However, the garbage bin is sitting nice and quietly, keeping it's lid shut for the most part. The biggest contributor so far has been a broken ceramic plate- no way to recycle that. I might pull it out in a few months when I'm feeling crafty and want to make garden stones or something. Yes...I've been pulling things out of the trash. Not only am I used to it from being on the Be Spartan Green Team, but it's habit to toss things in (even I do it)- and someone has to get them out. Guess who the only volunteer is for that job...

Oh, that's me!

It's been pretty easy to convince Dane, who is 5, that paper towels and tissues could go into the compost; I even got him to start using a handkerchief! His neighbor friend was a bit more difficult though...his family doesn't even recycle. 

The compost seems to be doing well. Although I can't really tell what's happening in the poop bin since it's well, full of poop, it's wonderful not to have to throw plastic bags full of kitty litter into the trash every week. The food compost is still taking it's sweet time. I'm sure the sub-arctic temperatures didn't help generate any heat, either. 

So far, we haven't had to alter our behavior all that much. Since we already recycled before, we just put a little more thought into what goes where and it all works out. The biggest difference I'm noticing in myself is my thought process- before I even pick an item up off the shelf my brain does a little "green scan"- what is it made of, what is it packaged in, and what will I have to deal with when I'm done with it? I find this little trick helps me save the earth and save money too, since almost everything is unsatisfactory after I force myself to think about it. 

Having my goal in mind keeps me on my toes, but what really forces me to be conscious about my actions is YOU! I have no idea who my readers are outside of my friends and family, but the thought of disappointing any of you keeps me from slipping up when I'm having a bad day. So I suppose, I should thank you!!

If you want grown-ups to recycle, just tell their kids the importance of recycling, and they'll be all over it. -Bill Nye

New Year, New Life!

January 1st! It seems like the older I get, the faster time goes...ugh.I didn't anticipate getting ready for this project and the holidays at the same time, so I'm feeling a bit behind. 
I think everything is ready overall though..

Here's a bit of what I've done so far:

Compost! I built my food composter in late November and have been adding to it since then. It ended up being bigger than I pictured, so our waste in a month hasn't even begun to compost that I can tell. I invited the neighbor to put hers in as well- I like to share. 

The pet waste composter was built a little later....and by that I mean we did it today. So, it doesn't look very pretty yet but the idea is that it will eventually be painted like an outhouse...just for fun.

Doesn't she look excited?!










What I'm struggling with the most here is kitty litter. There are all kinds of awesome natural and compostable products on the market now. The issue is my cat- he won't use anything that isn't in small granule form. I stood in the litter aisle for so long I think people were starting to think I was "that" lady...but I eventually decided on Cat's Pride Light and Fresh 100% recycled paper litter. It may or may not be satisfactory for him...we shall see.

Then I bought all kinds of fun stuff:

• The green containers in the preserve box are little tupperware made from 100% recycled #5 plastic. They are working out great for putting applesauce and yogurt into single serve portions for lunch. 
• The little brown box is especially exciting for me- earth rated poop bags! I don't take the dog out on a leash much anymore, but when we do go for walks near other people's yards, these poop bags are completely compostable. 
• The white ceramic container is my kitchen composter. Cute right? It matches my appliances.
• I bought 2 of those collapsible food containers and have already used them- the waitress looked a bit confused but eventually took her evil styrofoam containers away from me...
• I have some paper towel alternatives on order from Amazon- we still have a few regular rolls left from the last purchase so I'm saving them for especially yucky stuff in hopes of composting them.

I realize that I didn't really include Recycling in my last entry- "the plan". We recycle everything we can already, so I didn't think about it- but I assure you, that is one of the biggest components of the plan! I just took the recycling back today so we're starting fresh.

That's it for now! Since this just started, I don't have many results to share. I'll keep updating as we go, and am completely open to suggestions if you have any. 

ps-
GO GREEN!

I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise, what is there to defend?

-Robert Redford