Define "Biodegradable & Compostable "
I was at my local pet store, picking up crickets for my chameleon, and as I was waiting, I found some "biodegradable" doggie bags. I of course leaped at buying them, but something told me to read the back. On the back of the packaging it said, "decomposes faster than normal plastic bags." Huh? So these bags were still plastic? Faster? How much faster? 1,000 years? 10,000 years? I became suspicious and put them back of the shelf. I needed to do my research.
I have bought trash bags, disposable dishes, etc. that claim they are compostable. BUT what does compostable mean?
Some companies try to get around laws by using language such as "biodegradable", "bio-based", "biological", and "earth-friendly" in their marketing. This is not necessarily a good thing since nearly everything will biodegrade in 10,000 years!
It is best to look for the words "compostable", "BPI certified", or "meets ASTM-D6400 standard".
As I was at the pet store, I decided to get treats for my dog. I grabbed my dogs usual packaged treats. At the check-out I saw the store's bulk dog treat section. Why was I buying packaged treats? I don't have a use for the packaging after the treats are gone. I realized I could use one of my reusable produce bags and get bulk treats! I just put them in the old treats container instead of sending it to the recycling.
I do wonder if I'm really cutting waste when it comes to bulk. Those treats had to have gotten to the store somehow. Was it by a reusable container or in plastic bag inside a cardboard box? I might consider making my own dog treats but then you have to realize the ingredients I would use are all in separate packaging too. I think this is what makes the zero-waste lifestyle so complicated. It might seem at your individual level that you aren't making waste when it's just the person above you doing it for you.
I finally got around to watching the No Impact Man documentary. (Watch it Here) There was a moment when Colin Beavan was going through his house-hold cleaners he says, "they do not allow you to refill the bottles and for the purpose of this project, we don't use disposable products. People say, 'what about recycling?'. The fact of the matter is, plastic recycling is not as good as it's made out to be. It's better than nothing, but it's still not perfect.". The people call it down-cycling rather than recycling because it goes down in quality every time and then becomes toxic." This reminded me of when I first tried having no impact.
I thought that if I used only recyclable packaging, I wouldn't be harming the environment. I only grocery shopped in the deli section of Whole Foods for a good couple of months because they put food in plastic containers. It was my attempt to avoid plastic wrap. Now I wonder if I did more harm than good.
The point is to avoid having to recycle. Being aware of what you are buying.
Colin Beavan and his family go 6 months without grid power. They bought beeswax candles for light. (10 Reasons You Should Switch to Beeswax Candles) I already knew beeswax candles don't release toxins when burned, but what I didn't know was whether they were cost effective.
Turns out a normal incandescent bulb costs an average of 0.75 cents per hour. An LED or CFL costs one-sixth of that. (0.125 cents) I found this awesome beeswax candle and holder. (Link to Amazon) If you bought the 100-hour candle, it would cost you 0.22 cents per hour! That makes it comparable to electric light!
I, of course, have bought one of these candles, and I plan to use it instead of my normal light. I'm hoping that it will prove to be just as good. I'll let you know.
Speaking of experiments, I'll touch on my vermicompost and call this post good. I have been having trouble keeping the compost moist. It is very dry here in Colorado. It probably also has to do with the fact that I have the top off, as to force the worms in the dirt with a LED light. They can be stressed when arriving in the mail and want to crawl out. I have left the top off longer than what I've read because when I tried to put the top on, they attempted to crawl out.
I have food scraps piling up in my freezer because I've read that overfeeding worms is a thing. I realize now that keeping these worms alive is harder than it seemed. In retrospect, I should have gotten a compost tumbler. I think it is best to buy more than one because it takes 3-6 months to compost. Better to fill one and let it sit while filling another. Trial and error my friends. Until next time!
I have bought trash bags, disposable dishes, etc. that claim they are compostable. BUT what does compostable mean?
Compostable means that a product is capable of disintegrating into natural elements in a compost environment, leaving no toxicity in the soil. This typically must occur in about 90 days.
Some companies try to get around laws by using language such as "biodegradable", "bio-based", "biological", and "earth-friendly" in their marketing. This is not necessarily a good thing since nearly everything will biodegrade in 10,000 years!
It is best to look for the words "compostable", "BPI certified", or "meets ASTM-D6400 standard".
Another thing about compostable labeled items is that most people think that means it fine to just throw it in their trash. It is and it isn't. Is it better than plastic? Yes. However, if not turned regularly (to give oxygen) as you would with a aerobic compost system, it will still produce methane. Methane is a stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide when it comes to global warming. Check out my post on composting here.
As I was at the pet store, I decided to get treats for my dog. I grabbed my dogs usual packaged treats. At the check-out I saw the store's bulk dog treat section. Why was I buying packaged treats? I don't have a use for the packaging after the treats are gone. I realized I could use one of my reusable produce bags and get bulk treats! I just put them in the old treats container instead of sending it to the recycling.
I do wonder if I'm really cutting waste when it comes to bulk. Those treats had to have gotten to the store somehow. Was it by a reusable container or in plastic bag inside a cardboard box? I might consider making my own dog treats but then you have to realize the ingredients I would use are all in separate packaging too. I think this is what makes the zero-waste lifestyle so complicated. It might seem at your individual level that you aren't making waste when it's just the person above you doing it for you.
I finally got around to watching the No Impact Man documentary. (Watch it Here) There was a moment when Colin Beavan was going through his house-hold cleaners he says, "they do not allow you to refill the bottles and for the purpose of this project, we don't use disposable products. People say, 'what about recycling?'. The fact of the matter is, plastic recycling is not as good as it's made out to be. It's better than nothing, but it's still not perfect.". The people call it down-cycling rather than recycling because it goes down in quality every time and then becomes toxic." This reminded me of when I first tried having no impact.
I thought that if I used only recyclable packaging, I wouldn't be harming the environment. I only grocery shopped in the deli section of Whole Foods for a good couple of months because they put food in plastic containers. It was my attempt to avoid plastic wrap. Now I wonder if I did more harm than good.
The point is to avoid having to recycle. Being aware of what you are buying.
Colin Beavan and his family go 6 months without grid power. They bought beeswax candles for light. (10 Reasons You Should Switch to Beeswax Candles) I already knew beeswax candles don't release toxins when burned, but what I didn't know was whether they were cost effective.
Turns out a normal incandescent bulb costs an average of 0.75 cents per hour. An LED or CFL costs one-sixth of that. (0.125 cents) I found this awesome beeswax candle and holder. (Link to Amazon) If you bought the 100-hour candle, it would cost you 0.22 cents per hour! That makes it comparable to electric light!
Speaking of experiments, I'll touch on my vermicompost and call this post good. I have been having trouble keeping the compost moist. It is very dry here in Colorado. It probably also has to do with the fact that I have the top off, as to force the worms in the dirt with a LED light. They can be stressed when arriving in the mail and want to crawl out. I have left the top off longer than what I've read because when I tried to put the top on, they attempted to crawl out.
I have food scraps piling up in my freezer because I've read that overfeeding worms is a thing. I realize now that keeping these worms alive is harder than it seemed. In retrospect, I should have gotten a compost tumbler. I think it is best to buy more than one because it takes 3-6 months to compost. Better to fill one and let it sit while filling another. Trial and error my friends. Until next time!
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