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Author Topic: On the individual level? A mea culpa  (Read 37527 times)

nanning

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #50 on: August 22, 2020, 04:31:35 PM »
Indeed be cause  :-*
--
I think that compared to average western consumers, your waste per week is quite low Tom. Very good.
You generate the same waste in a week as I do in 7 months but you are better than most imo.

I think that through my example and living a reasonable 'normal' life, I show that there is a lot of 'low hanging fruit' to lower your waste with some effort/discipline. Same with lowering potable water use and energy use.

In the end it is all about lowering your consumption of the Earth.
"It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly" - Bertrand Russell
"It is preoccupation with what other people from your groups think of you, that prevents you from living freely and nobly" - Nanning
Why do you keep accumulating stuff?

igs

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #51 on: August 22, 2020, 08:36:56 PM »
Count me in with 1 - 1.5 times per month what you dump in 7 months but mine includes all the packagings from the stores. This is for me alone, I can judge that based on the times when my wife is away on business.

Unfortunately, even though she shares a lot of my/our views, the shopping addiction is not yet overcome and progress is slow because we are both "harmony addicted" so to say.

Further we are 30 years appart and everyone has the right to make his own experiences and ways within certain limits of course.

nanning

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #52 on: August 23, 2020, 08:25:15 AM »
That's almost 4 times less waste than Tom generates. Not that it is a competition, but very very good igs, especially since you also put the plastic packaging in that I leave behind at the supermarket.

It signals low consumption (except for people who always eat out) and a sharp awareness of wasteful behaviour.

And sorry, I should've mentioned that I am alone and have thus much more freedom in experimenting.
On the other side, when you live together and both are focussed on lowering consumption, it can be easier because you motivate each other and keep each other sharp. I guess that it can lead to quarrels as well.

When I put my garbage bag out, it was almost like saying goodbye to an old friend ;)
"It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly" - Bertrand Russell
"It is preoccupation with what other people from your groups think of you, that prevents you from living freely and nobly" - Nanning
Why do you keep accumulating stuff?

oren

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #53 on: August 23, 2020, 12:10:58 PM »
Nicely done nanning. I wish I could produce as little garbage as you.
Leaving the packaging in the supermarket is a good idea, maybe they will reduce the plastic if they have to deal with it. All those wrapped fruits and veggies are very annoying. Not enough that the planet is being shot to pieces, let's exacerbate it for no reason whatsoever.

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #54 on: September 03, 2020, 01:36:02 PM »
Actually following along, I dump my 13 gallon bags more like once every five or six days, so I am not quite as good as I thought.
Sorry.

Latent

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #55 on: September 14, 2020, 05:10:44 PM »
Well done Nanning.  I am lucky because I can shop at a greengrocers where most of their produce is not packaged in plastic.  They provide self-service bags - but I have made my own from left over mosquito netting which is light, reusable and washable, so that the veg can be weighed.  We have given up crisps and other snacks which come in plastic wrappers as our contribution to reducing our plastic waste.  Most of our other waste is either recycled or composted.  I couldn't estimate what we send to landfill in gallons but it fits in one (plastic) loaf wrapper each week.

Much more exciting though is that my daughter's family have just purchased a hot composter which takes all garden waste, paper, cardboard and food waste with the exception of dairy and oil.  Has anyone else got one of these?  I would like to see one at our block of flats for the use of the residents.  I am waiting to see what the first batch of compost is like.  It is devouring large amounts of waste and she is now getting her neighbours' waste to feed it as well.

wili

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #56 on: September 15, 2020, 03:31:45 AM »
I'm not sure what a 'hot composter' is, but if you get a pile to the size of about a cubic meter, and you have the right mix of material in it, it is not very hard to reach temps of 60 C or higher in the interior.

I do not think it is a good idea to waste energy on artificially heating up a pile that can heat up perfectly well on its own (unless you are dealing with very cold temperatures).
"A force de chercher de bonnes raisons, on en trouve; on les dit; et après on y tient, non pas tant parce qu'elles sont bonnes que pour ne pas se démentir." Choderlos de Laclos "You struggle to come up with some valid reasons, then cling to them, not because they're good, but just to not back down."

zufall

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #57 on: September 15, 2020, 08:45:29 AM »
Great thread, I hadn't discovered it until today!

I'm in the lucky situation that there is a store around the corner where they sell goods in bulk (loose). I don't know the correct translation - the German word is "Unverpacktladen". (Seems to be similar to the store Latent mentioned.) They have many types of grain, staple food, groceries, but also some household and personal hygiene items. For the grains / staples, you have to bring durable containers and weigh them so that the tara is determined, then the filled container is weighed again at the counter so they know what the net weight is. They actively cooperate with local producers in order to get the stuff with as few waste as possible along the whole process. I do not buy anything from elsewhere that I can buy at this store. I have exactly zero waste from these products, only from other sources.

Latent

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #58 on: September 15, 2020, 02:29:05 PM »
I'm not sure what a 'hot composter' is, but if you get a pile to the size of about a cubic meter, and you have the right mix of material in it, it is not very hard to reach temps of 60 C or higher in the interior.

I do not think it is a good idea to waste energy on artificially heating up a pile that can heat up perfectly well on its own (unless you are dealing with very cold temperatures).


No wasted energy Wili.  Just a very well insulated box. The natural heat of decomposition is retained in the box which means everything is properly composted at 60C.  Also all food leftovers can be composted quickly so no rats.  The art is keeping the temperature down with 'brown' compostables such as card, paper and woody cuttings as the summer here has been very warm.  I am waiting to see what temperature it will naturally retain in the winter. 

wili

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #59 on: September 15, 2020, 04:32:07 PM »
Interesting. I wonder if it is insulated well enough that it could keep my compost going through my Minnesota winter (with temps often staying down in the -20 C range for days).

How does it insulate while still allowing for full aeration?

It seems to me that most piles, with all their carbon rich leaves/chips etc, are already fairly well insulated. But you have piqued my interest, and I may have to look further into these.
"A force de chercher de bonnes raisons, on en trouve; on les dit; et après on y tient, non pas tant parce qu'elles sont bonnes que pour ne pas se démentir." Choderlos de Laclos "You struggle to come up with some valid reasons, then cling to them, not because they're good, but just to not back down."

HapHazard

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #60 on: September 22, 2020, 10:02:40 PM »
1 standard bag per season, normally. Slowly becoming more self-sufficient / off-grid, but we're on a very rural & large acreage, so what we do can't possibly apply to everyone. It's a great & relatively safe place to sit back & watch the apocalypse unfold, though.

Leaving packaging at the store doesn't do much, BTW, because you've already given the waste-creators your money, thereby funding them. Best way is to boycott totally, from the beginning.
If I call you out but go no further, the reason is Brandolini's law.

nanning

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #61 on: September 23, 2020, 08:11:53 AM »
HapHazard, that's very good of you! Only double the amount of what I throw away ;).

But I think your second paragraph is only applicable to people who have land to grow crops.
I rent an apartment and don't see how I could manage that. Imagine living in a high-rise in a city, which would make it even more difficult because they can't rent gardens. Even if I would again rent an allotment, I cannot imagine that I could feed myself from that through the year.
Perhaps you have overlooked your privileged situation ("very rural & large acreage") with that statement?

Leaving packaging at the store does do much; it enormously decreases the amount of waste for the waste collectors and makes you more aware of the problem, and sets a good example for other consumers in the store. It is one thing of many that one can do, and it all adds up.
"It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly" - Bertrand Russell
"It is preoccupation with what other people from your groups think of you, that prevents you from living freely and nobly" - Nanning
Why do you keep accumulating stuff?

HapHazard

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #62 on: September 23, 2020, 07:36:17 PM »
What you throw away at the store counts, too. Landfills don't care where the trash came from.

Our recycling program here is bad; I have to drive over an hour into the nearest town to dispose of mine, and we can't recycle as much as other larger urban areas. One of the downsides of rural living. The upside is being able to produce organics for those who want it.

Privileged situation? Sure, and I earned it. I'm aware of more than you're aware of.
If I call you out but go no further, the reason is Brandolini's law.

nanning

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #63 on: September 24, 2020, 07:19:00 AM »
Sorry, but I have to speak up for the forgotten majority again.
You 'earned it' likely because of your above-average brain capacities when you were born. That 'earning'? ;)
Thinking of all the other people here with less born-with talents, or 'earning', or 'network/family', or 'rich parents', or 'luck/opportunity', or 'the right country'.
That would be IQ-ist of you. Please be also aware of that in seeing yourself as 'successful' and 'earned'.

When many people leave the packaging at the supermarket, what do you think the supermarket will do? Don't you think that they'll change the way they package or choose different suppliers? Can't you see the ripple effect of that throughout supply systems?
Colective action is VERY powerful.
"It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly" - Bertrand Russell
"It is preoccupation with what other people from your groups think of you, that prevents you from living freely and nobly" - Nanning
Why do you keep accumulating stuff?

HapHazard

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #64 on: September 24, 2020, 09:14:30 PM »
Your first paragraph is mirror-gazing & virtue signalling. I'm sorry, but it just is.

The supermarket just tosses it in the garbage & thinks nothing more of it. I mean, maybe it's better than nothing, but it's barely any better than liking a post on facebook IMO.
If I call you out but go no further, the reason is Brandolini's law.

kassy

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #65 on: September 24, 2020, 09:39:53 PM »
I liked this idea but it should be a coordinated effort to pressurize the supermarkets to do something to reduce the plastic packaging. It really annoys me to see all cucumbers and most paprikas covered in plastic and there is not even a barcode on some of them.

If some people do it it´s a slightly larger garbage bill but if everyone takes some time to dump it there that would highlight the problem and involve a party with some leverage.

Þetta minnismerki er til vitnis um að við vitum hvað er að gerast og hvað þarf að gera. Aðeins þú veist hvort við gerðum eitthvað.

sidd

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #66 on: September 24, 2020, 09:49:19 PM »
A lot of stores have a dumpster out back specifically for cardboard and recycle bins for plastic bags and wraps.

sidd

be cause

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #67 on: September 24, 2020, 09:55:25 PM »
people of neither sex are attracted to a wilting cucumber .. only fresh or plastic coated will do ! Of course it should be a priority for hemp based compostable plastics to be used in the food supply chain . just b.c. :)
Conflict is the root of all evil , for being blind it does not see whom it attacks . Yet it always attacks the Son Of God , and the Son of God is you .

HapHazard

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #68 on: September 24, 2020, 10:59:53 PM »
Some producers use a very thin coating of wax on certain food items. Much better than plastic, but really only a good idea on items where the rind isn't eaten. Works better on an orange than a raspberry.
If I call you out but go no further, the reason is Brandolini's law.

GrauerMausling

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #69 on: September 25, 2020, 07:19:19 AM »
This is why I love our local market talking place every Saturday. It's quite easy to avoid unnecessary packaging.
The vegetables I can get are way fresher than those in the supermarket, cheaper AND they are not packed in any plastic. They have just the big cardboard boxes they are stored in but I don't see how those could be avoided. Bringing my own bags is always fine with those guys. This works for the vegetables, potatoes, eggs and fruits.
Meat is quite tricky here in Germany as boxes you would bring with you are not allowed behind the counter as they are. So I gave up on this one - and no, becoming vegetarian is currently not an option for me ;-).

El Cid

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #70 on: September 25, 2020, 01:26:54 PM »
If you grow (at least part of) your own food, you need no boxes :)

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Re: On the individual level? A mea culpa
« Reply #71 on: June 30, 2021, 09:10:02 PM »
What about this Summer ?
http://vakanz2021.lu/
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