(Repost-)
I have never tried composting before, and I am a gardener, therefore I feel this is the perfect Eco-Challenge for me to start with this week's topic of waste! Composting connects to our class content for this week because we watched videos on how to be resourceful and reduce waste. Being resourceful means using what we already own to create something sustainable and useful for both our health and the environment. Reducing waste refers to limiting the number of items that make it to the landfill. By practicing composting I am reducing my food waste, reducing the number of scraps that go to the landfill, and being resourceful by turning my food waste into a soil-mixture that will benefit my already established garden beds in the backyard by providing an eco-friendly fertilizer.

The two challenges I faced with this Eco-Challenge were that I did not own a compost bin and I was unaware of what items can be composted. The first resource I looked over was How to Compost (https://www.wikihow.com/Compost) which talks about having a bin under the kitchen sink. Our sink cabinet is currently full and being used for storage, but I plan on investigating where I can put a bin near the kitchen (I will check-in later for an update on this!). Since the goal is to be sustainable and I do not currently own a compost bin I felt the best way to overcome the challenge of not having a compost bin is to make do with a make-shift bin. Eco-Challenge provided this helpful resource called Composting Is Way Easier Than You Think (https://www.nrdc.org/stories/composting-way-easier-you-think). In this article it is talked about how a compost bin does not have to be perfect and we can use anything that has a lid and is accessible for when I move the compost around with a shovel. My Dad located an old cooler in the shed that we do not use anymore that happens to have a handle and a lid- perfect!

To solve the lack of understanding what can be compostable I found Composting is Way Easier Than You Think resources from Eco-Challenge to be the most useful. This link contains a diagram of compostable items and scraps that are not. Some of the items listed in the diagram that I added into my compost bin are fruit scraps (apple core, banana peels and grape stems) and loose tea bags. The article also mentioned napkins could be compostable which I added into the bin, however the usage of napkins was not included in the diagram and only written out in the article. I briefly cleaned up the cooler and carefully picked out all the compostable items from our kitchen garbage can to begin the compost process. I feel satisfied with my simple set up as I used an item for a bin that I already owned, I rescued food scraps from the garbage can and I have set a realistic goal for myself to continue composting even bast this Eco-Challenge post. Composting will also greatly benefit my love of gardening by providing healthy sustainable soil like mixture to incorporate into my soil. How to Compost mentioned a helpful tip I learned which is to spray compost to help keep it moist throughout the process. Eventually I will invest in something better to put the compost in, but for now I am working with what we to begin this Eco-Challenge.

I have never tried composting before, and I am a gardener, therefore I feel this is the perfect Eco-Challenge for me to start with this week's topic of waste! Composting connects to our class content for this week because we watched videos on how to be resourceful and reduce waste. Being resourceful means using what we already own to create something sustainable and useful for both our health and the environment. Reducing waste refers to limiting the number of items that make it to the landfill. By practicing composting I am reducing my food waste, reducing the number of scraps that go to the landfill, and being resourceful by turning my food waste into a soil-mixture that will benefit my already established garden beds in the backyard by providing an eco-friendly fertilizer.

The two challenges I faced with this Eco-Challenge were that I did not own a compost bin and I was unaware of what items can be composted. The first resource I looked over was How to Compost (https://www.wikihow.com/Compost) which talks about having a bin under the kitchen sink. Our sink cabinet is currently full and being used for storage, but I plan on investigating where I can put a bin near the kitchen (I will check-in later for an update on this!). Since the goal is to be sustainable and I do not currently own a compost bin I felt the best way to overcome the challenge of not having a compost bin is to make do with a make-shift bin. Eco-Challenge provided this helpful resource called Composting Is Way Easier Than You Think (https://www.nrdc.org/stories/composting-way-easier-you-think). In this article it is talked about how a compost bin does not have to be perfect and we can use anything that has a lid and is accessible for when I move the compost around with a shovel. My Dad located an old cooler in the shed that we do not use anymore that happens to have a handle and a lid- perfect!

To solve the lack of understanding what can be compostable I found Composting is Way Easier Than You Think resources from Eco-Challenge to be the most useful. This link contains a diagram of compostable items and scraps that are not. Some of the items listed in the diagram that I added into my compost bin are fruit scraps (apple core, banana peels and grape stems) and loose tea bags. The article also mentioned napkins could be compostable which I added into the bin, however the usage of napkins was not included in the diagram and only written out in the article. I briefly cleaned up the cooler and carefully picked out all the compostable items from our kitchen garbage can to begin the compost process. I feel satisfied with my simple set up as I used an item for a bin that I already owned, I rescued food scraps from the garbage can and I have set a realistic goal for myself to continue composting even bast this Eco-Challenge post. Composting will also greatly benefit my love of gardening by providing healthy sustainable soil like mixture to incorporate into my soil. How to Compost mentioned a helpful tip I learned which is to spray the compost to help keep it moist throughout the process. Eventually I will invest in something better to put the compost in, but for now I am working with what we have to begin this Eco-Challenge.

I'm beginning my journey with some simple changes related to waste streams. I say simple because it's an infrequent event for me already and I already made other changes regarding it.
I am reducing my disposable cups use which is already minor since I swapped to making my own coffee at my old job. My team would get coffee daily if not multiple times a day and the trash cans would be full of the empty cup not to mention the expense of getting a coffee.
My change was simple I brought in my pour over kit and cold brewer with mugs for the team and get beans weekly. I had the equipment at home already just sitting since I was always in the office, so it made sense to bring it to where the issue was. Not only was it great to save money and no longer have a trash bin full of cups but also the community engagement since as we made the coffees we would have "watercooler talk" or even start our meetings in the lounge making our coffee, chatting about non work and really building a connection rather than sending one person to pick up and deliver them and everyone right back to work.
Once Covid sent everyone home we still continued these engagements by scheduling meeting to talk and make our coffee at the beginning of the day. After I left that job I still make my own at home and now only contend with the free coffee with purchase of a bag of beans every few weeks so as I started today I am packing a to-go mug and they were more than happy to let me use it.

I started this mission with goals that were low hanging fruit because I already partially or totally commit to these goals on a daily basis. It is important, when you are dipping your toes into the water to try to keep it simple.
I will expand a little bit about Veganism in my life:
I am vegan. Every person's relationship with food can vary over the course of their lives. Some people live their lives addicted to junk food. Others are afraid to eat.
My relationship with food has been a progression towards what I consider to be a healthier lifestyle that balances my needs.
My mom was a strong woman. She was plagued her entire life by anorexia. This anorexia was driven by cultural values combined with mental health disorders. She suffers from anxiety and depression.
I was exposed to this throughout my youth. By the time i moved out i had a blossoming mix of bulimia and anorexia perpetuated by culture and inherited mental health disorders.
It took years of introspective analysis to convince myself that weight was not an issue for me.
I dont fill my body with junk, i excercise daily, and i dont have any health issues that cause me to gain weight.
I cant own a scale. it will trigger that obsession.
I have done stints with vegetarianism, not for health, not for animal rights, but as a form of self control. i enjoyed depriving myself.
as i aged i tried to repair the relationship i have with both myself and food.
Currently im vegan for animal rights, environmental reasons, and because i hate when people tell me what to put into my body. I have been vegan for 1 year and 3 months.