Interview with The Clean Bin Project

So over the last few weeks I have been lucky to meet some pretty cool bloggers. A few weeks ago, I talked with Jen, Grant and Rhyannon who have a blog called The Clean Bin Project. I was so excited with what they are doing that I wanted to share it with all of you.

Inspired by a two-month cycle trip from Vancouver to Mexico, Jenny and Grant realized that you really don’t need that much stuff to live. For two months, they carried everything they had. Once they returned home, they were overwhelmed, they had a house full of stuff and this made them think… “Do we really need more?” This question prompted the beginning of The Clean Bin Project. On their website, they blog daily about how their journey is going, it is really funny and informative. Just last week I learned how to pop popcorn off of the cob! There are quite a few rules they have created…

The Rules:
1. We cannot buy any material goods.
2. We cannot buy anything that comes in non-recyclable packaging
3. We must avoid excess packaging
4. We must take all waste produced personally by us home with us.

The Garbage:
• We will compost all food scraps
• We will recycle all paper, glass, and plastic possible
• We will keep all true garbage (destined for the landfill) in our individual garbage cans for the entire year. The person with the least garbage at the end of the year wins.

There is another section where they outline the details to these rules, here is the link.

As I know, a lot of you have asked that I shorten my postings so I will summarize there big tips.
• Vancouver recycles 4 types of plastics, most places only recycle 2.
• There biggest tips, Plan ahead. Bring a container, or a mug. Carry a reusable shopping bag with you all the time.
• Soft plastics are a big no no
• Buy items in glass container if possible
• Buy from the bulk selection.
• Shop on the outer rim of the grocery store. Ask for your bread and cheese to be put in your own containers. (they might give you a weird look, but they will get over it)

The big thing here that you are probably asking yourself is, what is the convenience factor. When I asked them, they responded, “actually it is not that hard, not as hard as we thought it would be. Honestly, more people can make these changes, they just have to try.”

During the process of this project (they are on day 251now) they have been filming a documentary called Taking out the Trash: the Clean Bin Project. I highly suggest you watch it, its very very good.

Overall, these were amazing people to meet, and I hope they have inspired you to make a change, as much as they inspired me. To see their top ten tips click here. Last, challenge yourself. Maybe a year is not exactly the commitment you are ready to have now, but start with a day, a week, or any other amount of time. Challenge your friends, school, or co-workers. The first step to making a difference is taking a first step.

If any of you are brave enough to try it out, let me know! I myself will be. Be sure to check out how Jen, Grant and Rhyannon are doing on cleanbinproject.com`