So, Day 1 of the Baker family Clean Bin Challenge...it’s actually January 4 so we are a few days behind our co-challengers, but it took us a while to get organized. Today was our usual garbage pick-up so we put out the last of our pre-challenge waste, everything since December 28. And took advantage of the unusually empty garbage can to thoroughly clean it, even scrubbing mould out of hard to reach places with an old toothbrush. Now it really is a ‘clean bin’ for once!
Daniel (just turned 6) is taking this quite seriously...and groaned when he realised that the birthday sticker he’d been given today at school was going to generate our very first piece of garbage when the backing was peeled off. He didn’t like my suggestion of taking it back to school to dispose of there, since it was their waste. Quick thinking had us turn that small square of waxy paper into play money – just by adding a $ sign in permanent marker!
Then it was simple to turn the new ketchup bottle seal into a play coin. And the empty hot chocolate can was disembowelled, separating it into the recyclable portions: plastic lid, the top and bottom steel, and cardboard sides. We were on a roll.
Until we hit a snag. A three-and-a-half year old snag. The youngest team member doesn’t really get this garbage reduction thing. He likes putting things in the garbage can. “Please eat your crusts, Joseph”, “No,” he says, “we can just put them in the garbage!” So, despite my attempt to eat everything left on their plates at suppertime, we already have some lunchtime leftovers in our new chicken food bucket.
But status report end of Day 1 – there is nothing in the Baker bin! Not even mould...
No comments:
Post a Comment