Day 4

Zero Waste

SPONSORED BY CHICOBAG

The Story of Stuff Project
Guayaki
EcoWatch

OVERVIEW

“There is no such thing as ‘away.’ When we throw anything away, it must go somewhere.”
~ Annie Leonard, Founder of Story of Stuff

You have 24 more hours to complete today’s challenge. It is due on 10/5 at 6am PT.

Take a minute to stop and look around. Look at what’s right in front of you, in your hands, and around your space. How much of what you see is created by humans? How much will be obsolete by tomorrow? By next week? By next year?

We tend to think that the lifecycle of our possessions begins when we purchase them and ends when we throw them away, but that can’t be further from the truth. Stuff – “matter,” if we’re being scientific – never really goes away. It may decompose and turn into something else, but more likely than not, your stuff is destined to sit in landfills or waterways, polluting our atmosphere and our planet.

According to the 2017 Global Waste Management Conference, global waste is estimated to rise to 2.2 billion tons by 2025. In the U.S. alone, the average person produces 4.4 pounds of waste per person per day based on a 2017 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Collectively, the U.S. produces around 258 million tons of waste annually – a quantity that would cover Texas, TWICE!

How many electronics do you or your family own? E-waste is often overlooked, even though it has massive repercussions not only on the environment, but on people as well. Up to 90% of the world’s e-waste is illegally dumped or traded, especially in developing Asian and African countries.

Watch this video to learn about about the monumental impact that e-waste has on people from developing countries. Afterwards, check out the photos here for more stories.

E-waste is just one part of the picture. The material that makes up the bulk of the waste stream is plastic. It is already finding its way to the most isolated and untouched corners of our world. Just recently, 38 million pieces of plastic were found on one of the world’s most remote places, Henderson Island in the South Pacific. In their recent publication Planet or Plastic, National Geographic stated that more than 6.9 billion tons of plastic waste had been generated,” only 9 percent of which was recycled.

Waste has become a negative byproduct of our daily lives, but it doesn’t have to be!
According to 5 Gyres’s Plastic Ban List, the top six sources of plastic pollution (food wrappers and containers, bottle and container caps, plastic bags, straws and stirrers, and take out containers) can be easily eliminated from our everyday lives. Forgoing single-use packaging for safe, reusable containers is one of the best places to start. Companies like our partners Klean Kanteen, Chico Bag and U-Konserve offer stainless steel and reusable containers for every daily need that make it easy to transition to a zero waste lifestyle.

So, where can you start reducing your waste consumption?

Yes, Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. You’ve heard these words since you were a kid, and they’re truer than ever today. But here are a few more important “R’s” to throw into the mix:

RETHINK. Think hard about what you can do differently to cut down on waste. Today’s non-profit partner, 5 Gyres, shares simple but illuminating shopping guide that provides an example of how we can live with less plastic.

REFUSE. As Plastic Pollution Coalition reminds us, “plastic is a substance the earth cannot digest. Refuse Single Use Plastic.” While you’re at it, challenge your friends, family and school to do the same.

ROT. Make it your business to keep food waste and other biodegradable materials out of landfills by creating rich compost to feed plants. Encourage your friends, schools, and communities to start composting if they haven’t already.

It may sound difficult, but we’re here to tell you that a zero waste lifestyle is possible. Plus, living zero waste is WAY MORE more cost effective in the long run! Buying in bulk, exploring DIY, and purchasing direct from farmers are all choices that help to lower your monthly bills and your footprint.

For more specific ideas and tips, check out Lauren Singer’s blog Trash is for Tossers.

CHALLENGE

Green

20 POINTS

Think

Think about the full lifecycle of a single-use product. How was it created? How did it end up in your hands? How will you dispose of it? The answers to these questions all have serious implications for the health of people and planet. In fact, every piece of plastic ever created still exists in one form or another.

Challenge

  • Watch this short video made by Annie Leonard, Story of Stuff
  • What are three lessons you learned from this video?
  • What is one change that you will make in your life as a result.
  • Share a link to Story of Stuff on the social media platform of your choice and caption it with the change you will make. Tag @TurningGreenOrg, @storyofstuff, and use #PGC2018

Deliverables

Upload your responses in a PDF document. Please include your name (or team name), username, email address, and school.

Submission Guidelines

  • Please submit all entries as PDFs – no word or pages docs.
  • Please save filenames using the following format: firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf (ex: kasie_shils_day1_green_2018.pdf)
  • Do not include # or spaces in filenames
  • Please be sure to include all content for your submission in one doc
  • Do not upload a file bigger than 5 MB
  • You will see a confirmation that your submission uploaded correctly. If you did not see a confirmation, please try again.
  • If your total points do not change, your submission did not load correctly and you will have to try again. You can see your point total by opening the Edit Profile tab on the bottom nav bar. Your point total will be at the top of the page.
  • Send any questions you have to info@turninggreen.org
  • Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #PGC2018.
The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

Greener

40 POINTS

Think

Since landfills are hidden from view, it’s easy to overlook just how much waste we produce and how it negatively impacts our shared planet. Check out this video made by our partner Klean Kanteen to get a snapshot of what your challenge will be about!

Challenge

Do you ever wonder how much waste you actually produce? Well, you’re about to find out!

  • For 24 hours, carry a bag everywhere you go and collect everything that you would otherwise throw away. Don’t hide it! Carry your bag of waste proudly and invite conversations with classmates and community members.
  • Show us the story of your day through the medium of your choice (e.g., photos, video, etc.), tag @TurningGreenOrg include:
    • the hashtag #PGC2018
    • conversations you had with 2 people. Who did you interact with? What did they say? How did they react?
    • a photo of everything you collected at the end of 24 hours, separated into recyclables, non-recyclables, and food waste/compost.
    • Consider some reusable options for each of your piles – pick two items in each pile. Tell us how these items could avoid ending up as waste in the future.
    • What is something you could change in your own lifestyle today to contribute to a zero waste world?.

Deliverables

Upload a PDF document with your photos and responses. Please include your name (or team name), username, email address, and school.

Submission Guidelines

  • Please submit all entries as PDFs – no word or pages docs.
  • Please save filenames using the following format: firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf (ex: kasie_shils_day1_greener_2018.pdf)
  • Do not include # or spaces in filenames
  • Please be sure to include all content for your submission in one doc
  • Do not upload a file bigger than 5 MB
  • You will get a confirmation that your submission uploaded correctly. If you did not get a confirmation, please try again.
  • If your total points do not change, your submission did not load correctly and you will have to try again. You can see your point total by opening the Edit Profile tab on the bottom nav bar. Your point total will be at the top of the page.
  • Send any questions you have to info@turninggreen.org
  • Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #PGC2018.
The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

Greenest

60 POINTS

Think

With all of your new knowledge about waste and its negative impact on people and planet, we need you to use your voice to inform those around you! When the average American throws away 4.4 pounds of trash every day, we know it’s time for a change. How will you use your voice to create change?

Challenge

  • Get super creative!! For this challenge we want you to create the most informative, action-inspiring PSA (public service announcement) to show the world that we are in a waste crisis that needs to be reversed now!
  • Make a video, painting, drawing, poem, sculpture, or something else that you think would inspire people. Make it memorable. Make it impactful. Make it fantastic!!
  • Get your PSA out into the world. Show us how you use your PSA to engage with people on your campus and in your community, giving them the knowledge that they need to reduce their waste. How many people can you reach and inspire?
  • Share your PSA and its ripple effect on social media! Don’t forget to tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #PGC2018.

Deliverables

Upload a PDF document with a link to your PSA. Be sure to make your video public so we can view it. Please include your name (or team name), username, email address, and school.

Submission Guidelines

  • Please submit all entries as PDFs – no word or pages docs.
  • Please save filenames using the following format: firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf (ex: kasie_shils_day1_greenest_2018.pdf)
  • Do not include # or spaces in filenames
  • Please be sure to include all content for your submission in one doc
  • Do not upload a file bigger than 5 MB
  • You will get a confirmation that your submission uploaded correctly. If you did not get a confirmation, please try again.
  • If your total points do not change, your submission did not load correctly and you will have to try again. You can see your point total by opening the Edit Profile tab on the bottom nav bar. Your point total will be at the top of the page.
  • Send any questions you have to info@turninggreen.org
  • Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #PGC2018.
The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

TODAY’S PRIZES

up to 10 winners from the greener challenge will receive:

Klean Kanteen 20 oz. Insulated Bottle
Klean Kanteen 8 oz. Stainless Steel Canister
Urbana Sacs Creative Sac
Bees Wrap Reusable Bees Wax Wrap

ChicoBag Reusable Bag
ChicoBag To-Go Ware Bamboo Utensil
ChicoBag Reusable Produce Bag

up to 10 winners from the greenest challenge will receive:

Klean Kanteen Insulated Wide Mouth Bottle
Klean Kanteen 5 Piece Stainless Steel Straw Set
Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Pint Cup
Urbana Sacs Creative Sac

ChicoBag Day Pack
ChicoBag Travel Zip Pouches
Khala Cloths Reusable Vegan Wrap