Julia L F Goldstein - Rethink the Bins

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR RETHINK THE BINS

This well-researched guide clears up the many myths and mysteries of what happens to the nearly 8 pounds of trash we Americans create daily. The book answers the question, does recycling make a difference? Yes, but you must have the checklists here because they guide you toward actions that really do help the environment. Should be required reading in schools to help future generations embrace a circular economy.

James Dillehay, author of Start a Creative Recycling Side Hustle

If youre looking for a resource that demystifies what actually happens to the things we throw away, Rethink the Bins is for you! Its an easily digestible and interactive read. Goldsteins compelling writing style inspires hopefulness and action amid the often confusing task of reducing household waste.

Moji Igun, Founder of Blue Daisi Consulting

Finally, a book on waste reduction for realists! Julia demystifies compost and recycling, and her worksheets make this guide personal for you and your area.

Summer Hanson, Co-owner of Eco Collective

At a time when were dumping mountains of food in landfills and filling the oceans with plastic trash, its clear we need to change how we handle the problem of waste. Rethink the Bins is a great place to start: a clear, practical, and informative guide to the ways our waste systems workand don't work. Its a valuable resource for anyone hoping to learn how to leave less trash behind.

Susan Freinkel, author of Plastic: A Toxic Love Story

RETHINK THE BINS: YOUR GUIDE TO SMART RECYCLING AND LESS HOUSEHOLD WASTE

Copyright 2020 by Julia L F Goldstein, PhD

First edition, Bebo Press, Redmond, WA

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact Bebo Press at

The paperback edition of this book is printed on demand, eliminating the negative environmental impact of printing large quantities of books that might go unsold and contribute to waste. Organizations seeking discounts for bulk orders should contact the publisher.

Cover design: Michelle Fairbanks

Typesetting: Sue Balcer

Interior graphics: Sirajum Munir Galib

Editing: Ariel Hansen

Indexing: Judi Gibbs

Proofreading: Abbey Espinoza

ISBN: 978-0-9995956-4-0 (paperback)

ISBN: 978-0-9995956-5-7 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN): 2020913332

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

LIST OF WORKSHEETS

My reusable plastic cup with a Zentangle design

INTRODUCTION

THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CUP

I stepped away from the table for only a minute or two. When I returned, my laptop was still there, but my favorite reusable coffee cup had disappeared. I couldnt find it anywhere! How could I describe its unusual design to ask whether anyone had seen it? Then I remembered: I had written a blog post about this exact cup in a story touting the benefits of reusable plastic cups.

I pulled up my website on my phone and scrolled down the blog page to find the post, which included a photo of the cup. I spotted an employee (lets call her Jane) and held up my phone: Have you seen this cup?

She thought about it for a moment. Yes. I threw it away.

It was an honest mistake. Jane was just trying to keep the area tidy, and my cup was empty. These reusable plastic cups from Starbucks are the exact shape and size of the paper cups, with an identical Starbucks logo on one side. The plain white reusable ones are hard to distinguish from the disposable variety.

But mine wasnt plain. It sported a design inspired from the practice of Zentangle, a meditative artistic expression that creates elaborate patterns in black and white. But apparently the design wasnt enough to convince Jane to leave the cup on the desk where I was working.

Jane and I walked over to the three bins in the kitchen area of this shared workspace and began searching. Success! Well, sort of. It wasnt in the trash. The cup was buried in the compost bin amongst discarded coffee grounds and banana peels. The lid ended up in the recycling bin, which was filled with a mix of items that did not look recyclable: plastic forks, wrappers from energy bars, you name it.

After a trip through my dishwasher, my cup and lid were good to go.

But this story illustrates a problem that I see frequently. The presence of multiple discard bins confuses people. The different bins are designed to improve recycling and composting rates, but the lack of consistent labels makes everything harder than it needs to be. I see trash in compost bins and food waste in trash cans. Foil or plastic food wrappers dont belong with the compost or the recycling. If composting is available, apple cores shouldnt go in the trash. Recycling bins are often filled with a mix of recyclable containers and stuff that doesnt belong. My lid certainly did not, though lids from single-use coffee cups might be recyclable, depending on where you live. It is hard to know what to toss where, especially as best practices keep changing.

There are a lot of mixed messages out there.

Recycle everything you can!

Recycling does no good.

Dont throw that in the garbage; its recyclable.

You cant recycle that; throw it in the trash!

Avoid plastic in any form.

Buy compostable plastic!

Always compost food waste.

Never put meat or fish in the compost.

Dont toss that there!

No wonder so many of us are confused about recycling and composting. Sometimes we feel like giving up trying to figure it out. Were worried that no matter what we do, it will be wrong.

HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM THIS BOOK

When I run smarter recycling workshops or talk to people about recycling, I find that almost everyone wants answers. People want to know what to do with specific items when they are at home or away. And, secondly, they want to know if their actions make a difference. To that second concern I say, yes, they do. You are only one person, but if you change your behavior and encourage those around you to change theirs, your influence is greater than you think.

This is an interactive workbook, filled not only with information about the various items and materials that make up the municipal waste stream, but with worksheets for you to complete, so you can track, control, and reduce your household waste. The options for access to the worksheets depend on the edition you are reading.

Print edition:

Write directly in the book or

Follow the URLs to download fillable PDF forms.

Kindle edition:

Follow the URLs to download fillable PDF forms.

PDF edition:

Type directly into the PDF or

Follow the live links if you need additional copies of any form.

The first three chapters will tell you what happens to your household waste after you toss it into a bin. Feel free to read the chapters in detail or skip to the end of each chapter where I summarize the key takeaways.