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March 05, 2009

Stash your trash

Submitted by SiteEditor Read more daily challenge, eco-friendly, frugal living, living responsibly, and new ideas
Challenge Yourself for: 24 Hours

How much trash does a person produce each day? Want to find out? Today, instead of throwing out everything you use (e.g. coffee cups, water bottles, fast food wrappers, egg cartons, plastic bags from produce), challenge yourself to carry around a sack with all of your trash inside. You’ll be surprised at the amount of garbage you generate, even with the best intentions.

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Community Progress: 92% success

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51 participants 25 entries logged

12 comments Have something to add? Share it here.

  1. 6156
    billbo 12 months ago

    A great challenge although i recycle, this will help me watch what i buy as well. So if i don’t want to carry it with me don’t buy it

  2. User_48
    Carla1968 about 1 year ago

    I live by myself but my fiance tosses things that can be recycled. I will show him what I’m doing hopefully this will open his eyes to be more of a recycler himself. Excellent challenge.

  3. User_48
    magnet about 1 year ago

    just joined today. There are 10 people in my family and we all think it is pretty important to recycle. For the size of my family we do not generate much trash most is recycled or compost. I will be doing this challenge at work. I think if myself and the ones I work with carry around a trash bag it might help upper management to see that we need to recycle more.

  4. User_48
    pbbguthrie about 1 year ago

    We recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum cans, and metal. We are fortunate to live in a city that has a curb-side recycle pickup once a week. Because we do recycle, we don’t have very much regular garbage. We also compost organic waste and use it in our vegetable and flower beds. I donate clothing and shoes to the Women’s Shelter. I carry my own shopping bags to use at the grocery, market, and pharmacy. I had to convert my husband. He was a skeptic asking what can one person do. My answer: It all starts with one person.

  5. User_48
    marie747 about 1 year ago

    just woke up a while a go had a cup of coffee in reg.cup. I’ll see how my day goes. always throwing something out

  6. Peru
    ttoth1 about 1 year ago

    I have accumulated 2 paper bags of trash. The good news is that probably 95% of it I can recycle!

  7. User_48
    hazlmystkz about 1 year ago

    This is a pretty good way to realize how much we not only accumulate but how much we consume during the course of a day. And from there we can also get an idea of how much of what we are consuming is recyclable (prepackaged), biodegradable (natural), and even bulky! We might notice an excess of the good or bad!

  8. User_48
    Radelle about 1 year ago

    I recycle empty bottles, cans, plastics such as milk containers, batteries, old CD’s & DVD’s that are cracked or scratched, metal, bicycles, lawn mowers, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, paint, chemicals, newspapers, paper, cardboard & cardboard boxes, shipping boxes, (I reuse the packing, plastic grocery bags I bring back to the supermarket (if I forget to bring my own which is not often), clear chinese coup containers,(I give to art schools and elementary schools for projects and pencil holders, furniture (I place craigslist so it doesn’t wind up in the landfills so fast), etc. I am waiting for the recycling of egg cartons (some places take them), & frozen food boxes & clothing that can be made into something else. Maybe some of these that aren’t there yet will catch on!

  9. User_48
    taloksq about 1 year ago

    almost half is recyclable, is it trash if it’s recycled?

  10. User_48
    pebby about 1 year ago

    hope it will limit the amount of garbage we accumulate daily

  11. User_48
    m39 about 1 year ago

    got a half bag already and its not even noon yet

  12. P3160028
    heatherwheeler1 about 1 year ago

    This will be very interesting to see how much trash we actually accumulate a day.