Big news for Starbucks lovers like me (sorry, not sorry). Starbucks has finally resumed its personal cup program! Bring your own cup for ¢10 off your beverage, but more importantly to save a plastic cup and lid (FYI, hot beverage cups are not recyclable). And I can almost guarantee that your cup is better insulated than theirs.
I’m all about buying pre-owned, but what’s better than free? My local Buy Nothing group has been an amazing resource for giving and receiving items no longer needed by others!
Buy Nothing is a concept popularized by the Buy Nothing Project, a social experiment started in 2013 (though people have been practicing similar philosophies for years). The Buy Nothing Project is comprised of a global network of community groups that encourage forsaking conventional commerce in favor of giving or recycling consumer goods and services. The Buy Nothing Project’s mission is “set[ting] the scarcity model of our cash economy aside in favor of creatively and collaboratively sharing the abundance around us.”
Freecycling is a similar concept. On freecycle.org, registered users (membership is free) can post items they are giving away or are in search of (ISO) on a Craigstlist-like platform. Trash Nothing is another freecycling platform offered in Chicago. However, I have found less transparency on Freecycle – users are not as responsive and it’s more difficult to determine whether an item has been taken.
I am often hesitant to donate many items because I don’t trust that they will just be pitched. With these groups, I’ve been able to find new homes for niche items – particularly craft and personal care items – knowing that they are actually wanted. Plus, it’s fun to see what other people are offering up – you never know what might strike your fancy! But act fast – popular items get claimed quickly.
Also, don’t worry — you don’t actually have to [gasp] interact with people. Most pick-ups and drop-offs are contactless porch pickups.
Here is a list of neighborhood Buy Nothing Facebook groups (please let me know if I’m missing any):
Earth Month is coming to an end, and while I love seeing so much content surrounding Earth Month, there has been a good deal of corporate greenwashing surrounding the cause and unfortunately some attention to our planet may wane on May 1. This is why I felt it important to address the distortion associated with the infamous three R’s.
Recall the waste hierarchy 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We’re all familiar with the adage – it was drilled into me in elementary school. Notice that Recycle comes last. Yeah, that’s no accident. However, over time we’ve flipped this hierarchy by order of priority – it seems that recycling has moved from the last spot up to the first.
But alas, it often is not. Not to mention the enormous energy required to recycle for a relatively small output. Recycling, or the myth of, enables us to forsake reducing and reusing based upon the flawed notion that our recyclables are easily reformed and reused. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
I used to think I was a good environmentalist because I recycled everything. I hardly had any trash but filled up my recycling bin. Plastic? No problem – it’s recyclable!
If you recycle, that’s great. Too few actually do (a smidge over a third of Americans) and that’s an absolute shame. But recycling does not absolve us – far from it. While we give ourselves a pat on the back for recycling and feeling that we are doing our part by doing so, it is unfortunately an often fruitless task. Many municipalities hardly support recycling, and often even those who do have nowhere to put it. The U.S. used to ship its recycling overseas, but that avenue has largely been shut off to us. According to the EPA, in 2018 (the latest available data) 68% of discarded paper and cardboard was recycled, 25% of glass, and only 9% of plastics were recycled.
Glass and metal can be recycled indefinitely, which makes recycling these materials actually worthwhile. Paper can be recycled five to seven times before it’s too degraded to be made into “new” paper. It can also be composted. Plastic, however, can only be recycled once or twice—and usually not into a food container—since the polymers break down in the recycling process. As a Columbia University Climate School article put it: “Plastic recycling presents the biggest challenge because the plastic is often contaminated by other materials and consumer goods companies are reluctant to buy recycled plastic unless it is as pure as virgin plastic.” Therein lies the core of the problem – recycling plastic usually isn’t worth it.
To add another layer, there are many types of plastic. These are usually classified on the plastic itself for recycling sorting, and it is important to pay attention these numbers are your city may not accept all numbers. Chicago accepts plastics with the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7. Note number 6 (polystyrene), which the city does not accept: including toys, hard packing, cosmetic bags, jewelry, CD cases, and vending cups. WTTW also provides a list of common items that cannot be recycled (with my notes):
When in doubt, here is a comprehensive list of typical products that Chicago does and does not accept in its Blue Cart Program. Earth911.com is another great resource for finding where you can recycle more difficult items.
Some difficult-to-recycle items, such as plastic pouches and cosmetics, might be recycled through a closed-loop recycling program such as those partnered with Terracycle. Before you throw something out, check to see if Terracycle or the brand itself accepts it back to be repurposed. I have a hard time finding skincare brands that don’t use plastic, but at least I can use brands such as Beekman1802. We also save up and ship in our Thomas Bagels bags!
We often over-recycle and do so incorrectly. As you can see above, not all plastic is recyclable, and much depends on where you live. I think we feel good about recycling even those things that cannot be recycled (e.g., Styrofoam) when we’re actually doing more harm than good. This is probably a good time to reiterate that adding something contaminated or dangerously sharp, such as broken glass, can cause the whole bin to be trashed. It’s better to start correctly from the beginning, even if that means more in your garbage bin.
Let’s circle back to the first two R’s – Reduce and Reuse. The best way to avoid the amount of waste, particularly plastic waste, is to reduce your consumption. Consumerism in our culture is rampant. Goods are more plentiful and cheaper than ever, which certainly has its benefits but comes at an enormous cost to our environment and our fellow humans who are inhumanely exploited to produce these goods. Not to mention these are often the very same people whose water and soil is being poisoned by textile factories producing cheap goods for us to buy. All to make cents. Take a moment to consider this when purchasing a cheap garment on Amazon or any of the plethora of impossibly cheap sites or fast fashion houses. It is too good to be true. Also, these designs are often ripped off from independent designers who receive no credit and might even be driven out of the space entirely due to being undercut by cheap counterfeits.
To boil it down: Don’t buy crap you don’t need.
Now, finally, onto “Reuse.” If you buy something, try to have an exit strategy. Can it be resold or donated (will someone else want it)? Thrifting is one method of reusing items and extending their lifecycle. Can it be mended if broken? Even cheap items can have a long lifespan if treated properly and mended rather than being thrown away. Can it be reused in some other way? For example, old t-shirts and other garments can be re-used as rags, and takeout containers can be used for leftovers or bulk food. Can it otherwise be disposed of responsibly? Sometimes, the answer is unfortunately no – which is why it is important to also reduce the amount of our stuff that eventually ends up in landfills and to cherish and care for what we already own. A classic example is a reusable coffee tumbler or water bottle – even though these cannot easily be disposed of at the end of their lifecycle, think of how many disposable coffee cups and plastic water bottles (ugh) were saved over that time! The same can be said for reusable tote bags, but if you’re anything like me, that can kind of be overdone.
To not rely on recycling as a crutch requires a significant shift in mindset. Corporations have engaged us in a massive effort of cognitive dissonance – we put so much effort into attempting to recycle correctly, but the end goal is not what we are led to believe. Furthermore, corporations have put the onus on us individuals rather than themselves. This is why it is crucial to prioritize reducing and reusing before recycling, which in many ways has been distorted to incentivize us to buy more and make us feel less guilty about our waste. It’s a farce that we are finally beginning to see through.
Before I discuss composting, I must briefly address what is perhaps the root of the problem – food waste. Chicagoans waste approximately 55 million pounds of food each month. This is particularly jarring because 1 in 9 Illinoisans (and 1 in 8 children) are food insecure. A 30% reduction in food waste, which should be easy to do, could feed all of America’s hungry. Food waste is wasteful at every stage of the food production, and then a significant portion is thrown into the trash while our fellow citizens go hungry. It is also a waste of money.
In Illinois, nearly 3 million tons of food waste is sent to landfills each year – more than any other single waste stream found in landfills. When food waste decomposes in these anaerobic conditions (without oxygen), it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that is 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. Greenhouse gases trap radiation in the Earth’s atmosphere, which gradually raises the planet’s average temperature. Composting can divert much of this food waste from landfills and reduce methane production by providing aerobic (with oxygen) conditions for decomposition where methane-producing microbes are not present. In the presence of oxygen and water, microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, use the carbon for energy and decompose the organic waste. This produces heat, which kills pathogens and seeds, and the remaining carbon is stable “humus” (commonly called mulch) that is weed-free and safe to use for agriculture, landscaping, gardening or other purposes. So-called “clean” composting can reduce water pollution, repair topsoil, naturally fertilize crops without harmful pesticides, and even sequester carbon from the atmosphere, among other benefits. Composting might be the most impactful way to reduce your carbon emissions and, I will tell you, we rarely have to take out the trash (optimal in this frigid weather).
Unfortunately, the City of Chicago does not offer composting services. This is a great topic to write to your alderperson about, and one that requires far greater recognition than it currently has. Chicagoans are apparently barely recycling, not to mention composting (also, according to WBEZ, Waste Management is notorious for rejecting recycling bins as contaminated and having these bins send to the landfills they may own, potentially profiting twice). Monica Eng at WBEZ provides a great explanation for why Chicago does not provide composting and what it would take for it to do so. Yard waste, however, is banned from landfills in Illinois – you can use 311 to easily schedule a yard waste pickup, which in my experience is picked up speedily. However, if a pickup is not scheduled then the dump truck will take it away as they are supposed to pick up anything in the alleys.
Alas, since the city does not offer municipal composting, we’re on our own here. Unfortunately, this is one example of sustainability and environmentalism not exactly equitable – this “lifestyle” requires resources in the forms of education, time, money, and space.
If you have an outdoor space, composting outside is a great option – for example, we have a little pile outside of our back door. However, compost scraps can be fodder for rats, and also cannot effectively break down many of the materials that a commercial composting facility can (such as paper, animal products, and sturdier biodegradable materials).
Enter composting services, which are making composting easier than ever (prior to 2015, most composting services were effectively prohibited and compost collection was severely restricted – the ordinance has since been amended to facilitate compost pick-up and drop-off). Around Chicago, there is a growing number of companies offering pickup and drop-off composting.
Interested in supporting businesses that compost? Check out the Illinois Food Scrap Coalition (IFSC)’s list of “We Compost” partners.
Are you composting, or are you eager to start? Share your experiences or any questions below!
I’m typing with a steaming mug of tea and a dog warming up my toes. Because baby, it’s cold outside. And buckle up — it’s going to be a frigid, pipe-freezin’ weekend.
Our house is old and not super efficient – that’s a post for another day – and letting the dog out every time she sees a squirrel (or leaf) brings in a frigid draft. But in order to feel cozy our household is emitting tens of thousands of pounds of CO2 (estimate what your household’s carbon emissions are using the EPA’s calculator).
I don’t know about you all, but my last utility bill was rough. And we don’t keep it that warm! But when the temperatures dip our furnaces are working extra hard to maintain the same temperature. Nonetheless, I’m taking steps to make sure our carbon emissions are reduced even during the current cold spell. For one, I’m keeping the house relatively cool. I run cold, but I can always put on another sweater or pair of socks – really, if you’re in shorts and a t-shirt in the dead of winter you’re doing it wrong.
Is it worth it? Yes. By reducing your home’s temperature by merely one degree overnight, you can save roughly 1,000 pounds of CO2 from being emitted (as well as saving a good deal of money). And the bigger your home, the more you are emitting — which comes with more responsibility to offset your emissions and more room to do so.
I highly recommend a smart thermostat, such as one by Nest (ComEd often provides discounts). If I forget to turn the heat down before I leave the house, or even if I’m too lazy to go downstairs, I can use the app to do so remotely. I also have schedules set to, for instance, turn the heat down overnight and back up just prior to waking up.
This is one super simple step you can take to reduce your own carbon emissions – even by tens of thousands of pounds per month. Being warm is an absolute luxury, and there is no need to harm the planet even more by turning your place into a sauna.
I love books. I love looking at them, smelling them, feeling them, and of course, reading them. I also love buying them, and take pride in what I consider to be a beautiful and impressive library.
But then I ran out of room. And then we had to move all of those books. And then, to my horror, our basement flooded shortly after we moved in and a number of those books were damaged or ruined (most tragically, my early editions of The Chronicles of Nania). And then, many of those I thought had been salvaged grew moldy. What a mess.
So, away went many of these books. I composted what I could and threw the rest out. But honestly, I shouldn’t have been holding onto many of these books anyway and took a hard look at those that remained. I started leaving books out front to be picked up by passer-bys and gave a bunch away to friends and charity.
Long story short, going forward I have essentially resolved to buy no more new books. There are some exceptions – namely, those I may buy at speaker events (when those are a thing again) and/or have autographed. But otherwise I am resigning myself to my old Amazon Fire and secondhand books as well as working through those books I already have. Here are two fun and easy ways you can free up space in your home, wallet, and ultimately the landfill when it comes to reading:
If you need to buy a new book, that’s fine (as my dad aptly pointed out, writers need our support). But don’t throw it away…because that is literally sacrilege.
The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places
– Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms
This line, from one of my favorite novels, has been on my mind recently. Though in a different time and context than Hemingway wrote of following World War I, I find it incredibly relevant today. Our world and our country are broken, and the past four years have been particularly shattering. However, with the change of administration comes renewed hope and resolve, including a monumental hope for positive environmental change.
I think many of us are suffering from something akin to PTSD from the past four years (exacerbated by a pandemic) – it’s no secret that the last administration was absolutely devastating for environmental regulation (the Berkeley Law Center has a comprehensive list of rollbacks). But it’s time to move forward and the Biden Administration is doing just that. In the first few days of his presidency, Biden has taken swift action to make climate and environment a policy priority. Already, President Biden has taken executive actions* to:
*While executive actions bypass the need for Congressional approval, they can be challenged by the courts (which currently lean conservative).
This is great progress, but only the beginning and more must be done to aggressively curb climate change. While President Biden has taken steps to revert to many of the Obama Administration’s climate policies, the Biden Administration cannot simply stop there and does not plan on doing so.
Expect to see a resurgence of clean air, clean water, and clean power, and for it to be more economically viable. These are growing sectors that will have downstream effects, changing the way we live in positive and practical ways. The world was broken, but we’re going to build it back better.
Sustain(able) Chicago 