The Zero Garbage Challenge

After a short break and a healthy rethink, I’ve refocused my efforts in growing my own food. Over on my personal blog, Plotz, I’ve started a yearlong pledge to grow 25% of my own grocery bill and reduce my garbage to as near to zero as possible. I took my inspiration for the latter from three excellent websites.

• • The Zero Garbage Challenge is updated every other day and includes snapshots of the author’s garbage along with useful links and helpful pointers on reducing your output.
• • The Green Garbage Project started up in July and is packed with handy information as a couple strive to bring their garbage down to zero.
• • Rubbish Free Year is a New Zealand project along the same lines which ran from February 2008 to February 2009 and gives you all the statistics and information you need to start your own challenge.

The Challenge

I have a compost bin on my balcony, which takes care of most of the vegetable innards and teabags – I’m a vegan, so no meat and dairy! If you are a meat-eater or a vegetarian, there are Bokashi bins. You sprinkle the animal matter and dairy with a special bran mixture, which safely breaks down the waste and stops vermin and flies.

We have bins outside our building for paper, glass and metal, and Magpie take most plastics, although I’m trying to reduce packaging as part of the challenge. This leaves cat litter and cigarette butts – I know, I know.

I noticed that The Brighton and Hove Food Partnership received a grant of £500,000 to set up grow your own and food cooperative initiatives throughout the city. This is excellent news! Brighton needs these sorts of schemes – in the next couple of months up at the Green Centre we’ll be holding workshops to do our bit in getting people growing vegetables.

I’m issuing a challenge for other like-minded souls to join me. You can aim to grow a proportion of your own fruit and vegetables, reduce your garbage by a set percent, or both. Let’s share experiences and stories – I’d love to hear your comments here!

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