{"id":3169,"date":"2008-07-07T16:40:33","date_gmt":"2008-07-07T22:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=3169"},"modified":"2008-07-07T16:40:33","modified_gmt":"2008-07-07T22:40:33","slug":"turning-trash-into-treasure-how-diverting-waste-is-the-ultimate-act-of-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/turning-trash-into-treasure-how-diverting-waste-is-the-ultimate-act-of-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning Trash Into Treasure: How Diverting Waste is the Ultimate Act of Sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note<\/strong>: My inspiration for posting this is attributable to the many radi<\/em>cally creative and excellent ideas in <\/em>Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by H.C. Flores.<\/em><\/p>\n

The clock is ticking. On Wednesday, I am to shoot a segment for the Sust Enable film project<\/a> in which I construct a draft box (alternative to a refrigerator), solar cooker (alternative to a stove\/oven), and hot water solar shower, in order to illustrate how easy and cheap it is to build such items for the average person. Once applied, these technologies can divert significant amounts of energy that would normally come from the plugs in your home, to free energy provided by the sun and wind. (Of course, the issue of winter and weather conditions arises, but I believe that every little applied creative technology helps in the approach toward sustainable living.)<\/p>\n

But there is one obstacle looming… can I overcome it in the hours before the shoot begins?\"\"<\/p>\n

How do I sustainably acquire the necessary materials?<\/em><\/p>\n

If I am claiming to live a 100% sustainable lifestyle, then certainly I cannot acquire anything new–all supplies must<\/em> be redeemed from the waste stream of others. Or must they? I began to realize that the likelihood of me garbage-picking a 55-gallon drum, spigots, fixtures, tools, aluminum foil and black hose was rather slim in the time frame given, and with the transportation resources I have (i.e., a bike).<\/p>\n

Hence, I must consider the tradeoff of my actions as thoroughly as I can. What are the consequences of the manufacturing of a metal spigot, bought new from Home Depot? What’s the tradeoff if I were to continue to use conventional hot water heaters for all of my showers for the next few years of my life? …Ah. Maybe<\/em> I can be a little less strict with myself!<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, there are shockingly abundant resources for ANY home sustainability project you wish to undertake. All you have to do is learn to look in the right places first! And, these resources are completely free. People seem shocked to hear that my cost of living is under $100 a month. But when you are trying to live sustainably, operating without superfluous commodities becomes a given (also discussed in Food Not Lawns<\/em>, under “Quit Your Job”)! But that’s another post…<\/p>\n

There is nothing more sustainable than trying to get the most use out of the embodied energy of any material. That means: if you’ve got an old cupboard you don’t have a place for anymore, don’t smash it and use it as firewood! Countless gallons of water and petroleum went into turning that wood into a cupboard<\/em>, so brainstorm other ways to use it in its high-energy state, or give to someone who can use it. In Cradle to Cradle<\/a>, the authors talk about how recycling materials often results in “downcycling”–where the subsequent use of the material results in low-grade, un-recyclable products. Since this is the current state of design, recycling is nowhere near “sustainable.” On the other hand, reusing materials and not thinking of them as “waste” leads to a more ecologically-responsible lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\"\"Last night, an old garden hose was coiled up on a neighbor’s garbage pile, awaiting the morning’s collection truck. Instead, it found a new home and a new use with me (see it in the Solar Shower segment). Anything you dream, you can create… and using found & available materials makes it all the more specific, original, and creative!<\/p>\n

Here are some tips for where you can find just about anything you need.<\/p>\n