I started Lent this year by diving right into the deep end. Ash Wednesday meant a trip to State College for a conference, and since I was already halfway across the state, I continued east to see my parents for a belated birthday celebration with my dad. A lot of car time means a lot of travel food, which typically means a lot of packaging. (And a late night at work on Tuesday meant next to no prep time.)
I live a pretty low-waste life to begin with, but it’s not zero waste. Doing a zero-waste Lent this year will mean a serious shift in my awareness and daily behavior. In order to prepare myself for 46 days of zero waste (or as close as possible), I have to set some ground rules…
Starting with the 121 company links listed on www.papowerswitch.com, I worked my way through each website, determining who had residential plans in Duquesne Light territory. As of February 1, that number turned out to be 55. I recorded whatever information I could from each site, asking for further information when it was possible.
Much to my surprise, a few weeks ago Christian got some promotional mail from a third-party supplier advertising a green electricity plan, and instead of putting it straight in the recycling, he quietly put it on top of my mail pile. With that subject effectively broached, I set to work doing the research that had been on my to-do list for a few years now.
For the very first post, we’re going to revisit a request I made to the general public via Facebook at the beginning of this year when the South Hills of Pittsburgh switched up some recycling guidelines. Keep in mind that these recycling restrictions may not be the case where you live, but REDUCING is always a better option than RECYCLING, wherever you are!