September 2010
1 post
Farewell Green Grapes - See You Soon
I will miss grapes. They’re just so delicious… they’re like little grenades of happiness exploding with flavor. Unfortunately, they’re also wrapped in a plastic bag. So, I’ll be sticking to bananas and plums…
Zero waste challenge v4.0 has begun. It was about a year ago this week that I finished the first ZWC. Wow, how time has flown!
More updates, blogs,...
April 2010
1 post
3 tags
Zero Waste Challenge Endures
One Man. One Month. Zero Waste.
Well, that used to be the mantra, but since I’ve started, other’s have picked up… and for good reason - it’s not fun going it alone.
April is the third installment of the Zero Waste Challenge, but it is no easier… in fact, I think it may be getting harder. Why? Because the weather is so beautiful and I want to go picnicking and...
March 2010
6 posts
6 tags
Day 9 update. some successes, two fails
a successful friday zero waste road trip (have you seen the video (above)?
carpool
33+ mpg
all food in reusable containers = no packaging
but after a first ever attempt at a road trip was waste free, i made the same mistake..
DAY 6 = fail. why? because i let a friend get me a glass of water at a bar and forgot to say “no straw.” i got a straw. it was 12:15 or so am… the...
day 3- fail.
in a gesture of kindness a friend/coworker (and not the other way around) offered me a hot cup of tea. it was delicious. and i thoroughly enjoyed it.
and i had a refill.
then i drank tea-flavored water.
…and then it struck me when I was going to wash out my mug.
there will be garbage.
now, dont panic. I composted the tea leaves and the tea bag, but the staple and paper were not...
6 tags
day 2 - success, day 3 - GREAT start
breakfast is a real challenge in the zero waste challenge - look at your pantry, refrigerator, clif bar, whatever and you’ll see that most of the foods we eat come wrapped in garbage (packaging).
now, those who know me well know that i love leftovers in the morning, so that isnt much of a problem… but what about when you go to work and get a late start to the day.
two solutions:
1)...
6 tags
day 1 = success
i almost ruined it today with those pesky paper towels in the bathroom… i actually let out a “OH NO” when i reached for one, almost grabbing it. luckily, i was alone in the bathroom and didnt have to answer to any strange looks
but then again, i just wrote that publicly.
whatever. today was a huge kick-off success complete with cloth napkins, playing piano, cooking a delicious...
Challenge v2.0 Day 1
For the kick off of Zero Waste Challenge v2.0, I took a Navy Shower and looked at the Q-tips…. thought about it… and didnt grab. It’s a guilty pleasure in the morning to tickle the inside of my ears with cotton, but I’ll have to forgo it for a while. At least I have options.
Without cereals or store-bought breads, my carb options for breakfast are going to be limited....
February 2010
1 post
zero waste PART 2
one man. one month. zero waste.
who’s ready for round 2?
March 1 - 31, 2010
anyone in for the challenge? one day? one week? one month?
October 2009
1 post
zero waste plus (or maybe minus) one
a friend told me not to end at the finish line, but keep going just one more day. that way, its not just a closed door to september, but an open door to the rest of my life.
i dont know if i’ll be able to look at garbage the same way. and garbage is everywhere.
so, for today, october 1st (now 2nd technically), I’ve completed my first zero waste day in my real life. no more...
September 2009
9 posts
zero waste, winding down
there have been ups.
there have been downs.
it’s the endurance of the challenge that’s getting to me. every day. it wears on me. no, I can’t have a clif bar. no, dont buy a bag of tortilla chips. oops, didnt bring a bag? can’t buy bread… the challenge is the commitment. sure, ive had a moment or two of slipping, accidental, or even intentional. there was a beer i...
zero waste day 19: success
wow, where has the month gone?
somewhere in the teens days I’m sure I had a failure. there was another paper towel incident - i made a pretty nice spill and a beer that was offered that wasn’t to be refused, but all in all, i’ve been staying strong
I’ve wanted to bring cheese back into my apartment since the beginning of the month (and chocolate) but everywhere you buy...
day 12: early fail
it’s just embarrassing. it’s unnecessary. it’s a downright shame.
i’m talking about my early morning fail in the zero waste challenge. not something casual like a piece of paper, i’ve wasted food. and i feel terrible about it.
i tried to eat my way through leftovers, but refrigerators are like casinos… same amount of light all day long, so it looks like time...
thanks for the bread
i forgot a bag, an amateur problem. I need to make a survival kit for myself… some type of plate, cloth napkin, silverware, spare bags, etc.
tonight was just that kind of night. i made some delicious potato-leek soup from farmers market treasures and wanted some bread to go with it. but i didnt have a bag.
so i asked - at a sandwich cafe - to buy a loaf of bread and to just walk out...
shoutouts and 2 great stories from 9/9
congrats to Pic and Freddie for zero-wasting up for a few days. theyve shared some great stories and are keeping me focused… anyone else out there taking the challenge? let me know!
day 9: success day 10: looking good so far
story 1: i forgot money when i went to the farmers market and as it is a farmers market - and in the middle of a field - they dont take plastic cards. i was pressed to...
update from the zero waste challenge
day 5: success day 6: fail, because we’re being technical day 7: success day 8: success
I’ve been getting great support from friends new and old, especially among the community of people who prepare or serve food for a living. I can’t tell you how supportive people in cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants have been. story:
it was saturday and i was with a friend at the chicago...
day 4: pending, still above water.
i’ve been craving a burrito for days.
DAAAYYYS.
so, in honor of a beautiful friday, i went for a burrito for lunch. i scouted the place - mamacita’s on clark - out last night. to get a little info about the waste i would have to avoid.
I sat down and when the waitress came over, i looked at her sincerely and said, “i have a small request.”
“sure”
“is...
Day 2: fail. Day 3: SUCCESS!
day 2 fell for the same reason as day 1. i have to get out of the habit of reaching for paper towels! at least this time i realized before i threw it out, and had the chance to reuse it (i did), but i still count it as a fail
day 3: big success. i brought some snacks with me to my presentations and ate some fresh fruit and snap peas. reusable steel water bottle. DELICIOUS organic dinner…...
day 1: fail
this is how it happened… i go to a local coffee shop and successfully averted a simple mistake: getting a to-go cup when i wanted a mug. whew.. safe…
then, as im on my way out, i decide to make a quick stop at the rest room. i wash my hands. i grab a paper towel. i dry my hands… and as the paper towel leaves my hands in a beautiful arc to the trash, in my head, i yell,...
August 2009
5 posts
almost there...
i’ve been mentally preparing and psyching myself up for the ZERO WASTE CHALLENGE. all the ducks are pretty much in order and i’m excited to get started. i’ve been practicing by trying to generate the least amount of waste possible for the past few weeks, but i keep coming up to new challenges. i think this might be harder than i thought…
ways i could forsee slipping up:
-...
Getting ready...
I’ve been using the waning days of August to prepare myself for the zero waste challenge… collecting paper bags, exploring no-waste food options, and seeking input and ideas from friends. One of the harder parts of the challenge will be laundry, especially as the weather here in Chicago starts to enter the cooler days of fall.
So, to practice, I’ve used this morning to do a...
Introduction (beta)
Michael LaFemina’s Zero-Waste September Challenge CAUSE: to raise awareness to how much unnecessary garbage is in our lives by trying to remove it from mine. the point of this is make everyday and available choices, not live an extreme lifestyle that would be impossible for someone else to try. Yeah, it’ll require more thought and planning, and maybe a few more conversations with...
Zero Waste Challenge
stay tuned for the complete guidelines and mission statement for the zero-waste challenge.