I have committed to a new diet for May, and it’s not what you might think. Although, this kind of salad is part of it. I’m going on a plastic diet. It’s a pledge I’ve taken as a City of Boise’s CurbIt Pro volunteer.
So this month, I will not purchase anything in a clam shell or formed plastic container. So-called single-use plastics. I’ve paid close attention to how many of those things I buy regularly and it’s going to be tough. I feel like I cheated a little by purchasing a big salad mix BEFORE May 1st, so I would have a good salad supply for the first week.
I took a tour of Western Recycling last Friday. The center processes 3,500 tons of material a month. 400 tons of it cannot be recycled. See the old toy car in the photo above? That’s trash. Play “I Spy” and you’ll see a lot of items that cannot be recycled. “Wishful recycling” is what it’s called. Some of the items in the piles USED to be recyclable but aren’t any longer. All of this is picked over and sorted by hand. 25 people working at a time.
I’m giving the Hefty orange Energy Bag option a try at home – focusing on thin plastic shopping bags, plastic wraps/films, foam trays, sour cream containers, chip bags and plastic lids. All those things are either trash or Energy Bag items. The salad container doesn’t go into the orange bag. It’s STILL trash.
Did you know Boise is the ONLY city in the country with the orange Energy Bag option automatically available to all?
Have questions about what goes where? Send me a photo and I’ll help. Email Deb Courson, or text the River Studios: 208-287-2949.
When in doubt about an item, throw it out.
~Debbie