Green Blog
WasteBusters 2020: What does our waste say about us?
Have you been looking for a friendly competition to learn about and practice reducing waste in your home or business? Then you are in the right place! WasteBusters is an annual waste-reduction competition for organizations and individuals in Clark County hosted by the Green Neighbors program. Families, friends and organizations are encouraged to form groups or sign up as individuals, committing to reduce waste and foster sustainable habits for the 20-day challenge running from Feb 28 through March 18. Great prizes that are up for grabs include an indoor smart garden and Instant Pot.
Join us at the WasteBusters Kick-Off event All are welcome at this free event; you can sign up for a WasteBusters pledge before or at the event. There will be free snacks and giveaways, and a raffle where you can win a zero-waste starter kit, beeswax food wrap or a Green Neighbors reusable bag!
| Date and Time | Friday, Feb. 28, 6 pm - 7:30 pm |
| Location |
Columbia Room Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St Vancouver |
| Registration | RSVP HERE |
The Challenges:
Our challenges are designed to give you a variety of options and challenge levels. We've kept the general criteria simple, but you can adjust it to be as challenging as you desire. Whether you're just starting to think about waste issues or you've been living a highly conscious lifestyle already, there is always room for improvement.
| PAPERLESS KITCHEN:
I pledge to reduce paper waste in the kitchen by switching
from single-use paper towels and paper napkins to cloth alternatives for 20
days. |
| WASTE-FREE LUNCH:
I pledge to reduce plastic packaging waste by bringing a
waste- free lunch to work or school three days a week or more for 20 days.
|
| ELIMINATE FOOD SPOILAGE:
I pledge to reduce food waste by
not allowing any food I purchase to spoil or be thrown away for
20 days. |
How it Works:
First, pick your pledge and register for the WasteBusters Challenge. You will receive a reminder email to officially begin the challenge! Watch for posts from the WasteBusters team page on the Challenge Dashboard. Throughout the challenge, we will prompt you on how to reduce waste and earn points. Make sure to check in periodically to share your progress and learn new ways to bust waste!
You can earn points by attending events, completing weekly challenges and answering prompts. Participants who earn over 500 points will be entered into the drawing for the grand prize. Earn your first 100 points for registering for the challenge and attending the Kick-Off event!
Speaker: Dr. Douglas Wilson, Ph.D.
The Kick-Off event will feature a talk from Dr. Douglas Wilson, the chief archeologist at the Fort Vancouver historical site, the director of the Northwest Cultural Resources Institute and an adjunct associate professor at the Portland State University.
Dr. Wilson will speak on the differences between modern trash and historical trash, tying in examples of historical waste that he discovered at the Fort Vancouver Historical Site. He has previously worked at the University of Arizona with Dr. Bill Rathje, the original archaeologist of modern garbage and pioneer of the field of "Garbology." This field explores communities or cultures by analyzing their waste. As we begin this year's WasteBusters Challenge, Dr. Wilson will remind us that what we throw away will often say more about who we are than what we choose to keep. If a garbologist were to analyze what we left behind 200 years in the future, what would our waste say about us?
