It has been an interesting and challenging Lent. Some things I will keep doing; some I probably will not. All in all, it was very educational – I found myself doing research on subjects I hadn’t considered before. I was much more informed, thoughtful, and intentional in my decision-making, which was ultimately the goal.
Going into Lent this year, I realized that food would be my biggest challenge – whether eating while traveling, fueling/recovering from running, or just finding a way to make sure I got some nutrition during my long, busy days. This week I spent some time in the kitchen, cooking more in one day than I have during all of Lent so far, creating almost no waste.
I hadn’t expected to need to shop for clothes during Lent, but this challenge is about opening my eyes to problems I hadn’t considered. As certain clothing items are giving up the ghost, I’m becoming aware of what I should and shouldn’t do to replace them (both now and in the future).
This week brought with it an interesting challenge: hosting a party. How could I plan for 20-ish people at my house and generate no/minimal waste? Ultimately, I could have handled this problem by not having a party, but that wouldn’t really help me figure out how to change my behavior.
This week I decided to stop at my favorite hot dog shop for dinner, knowing my order would involve (compostable) single-use service items. That experience begged a closer look at what “compostable” really means and if using these environmentally-friendly dishes, cups, and silverware really makes a difference.
Abandon all squeamishness, ye who enter here. This post contains frank information about bodily functions and what it takes to have a zero-waste period. Reusable menstrual products may not be for everyone because of financial or medical reasons, but this week I stepped outside my comfort zone to see what period panties can do.
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.