What are the benefits of zero waste?
What impact does it have on you, your health, your household, the economy, the planet?
While the switch to zero waste can be hard, there can be many benefits for you on a personal level as well as for your household in general, such as:
Improved physical health
Packaged food does not necessarily mean unhealthy food, but unhealthy foods often mean lots of packaging.
Often the packaging is so thin that it can’t even be recycled. One of the zero waste health benefits is simply being forced to shop, cook, and eat healthier. What’s more, being made to slow down and think about what you’re buying at the grocery store creates a more mindful way of shopping, allowing you to make better decisions for the entire life cycle of the products you buy!
Improved wellbeing
Mindfulness has been shown to have various positive effects such as stress reduction, increased working memory and focus, less emotional reactivity, and more. Extend this concept to mindful consumption beyond food and drinks, and people are obliged to assess the products they clean themselves and their homes with.
Fewer toxic chemicals in your home
Zero waste cleaning and self-care products tend to have fewer potentially damaging chemicals (and fewer ingredients in general) meaning a happier, healthier, and more sustainable household. The same is often true for the packaging of these products, and waste reduction through the use of non-toxic materials in packaging (such as plastics and other petroleum-based materials) means fewer issues caused by microplastics in the local, national, and global environment.
The ultimate goal of zero waste is to help people reuse, repair, and repurpose things that have come to the end of their life. By reusing rather than replacing you can save significant amounts of money, making it another zero-waste lifestyle benefit.
EvCC Styrofoam Recycling Event
EvCC Students for Enviromental Action (SEA) Club and Sustainability Department invites you to be an environmental hero! Bring clean styrofoam, packing peanuts in bags or boxes, bubble wrap and plastic film to be recycled–for FREE! If you are bringing styrofoam, please consider bringing a donation for the Marysville Food Bank of non-perishable food or monetary donations. We hope to collect as much styrofoam as possible; help us spread the word to your family, neighbors, and friends.
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Parking Lot F 10am-2pm
What We Accept
EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) Guidelines
Your material must be:
• Clean
• Dry
• Free of all tape and any labels so it does not contaminate the recycle process.
• Please bag your peanuts separately for drop off
• No contaminated material accepted.
• We will accept any amount, large or small. Sorry, no hot tub covers, please.
To Identify Your Foam:
• Look for the #6 or EPS inside the recycle symbol
• Bend the material – it should break and snap with loose beads
Polystyrene Examples:
Clean Styrofoam
Clean Takeout
Clean Polyethylene
Clean Shipping Coolers
Clean Styrofoam Sheets
Other Materials We Accept:
Packing Peanuts (in bags or boxes please)
Clear bubble wrap
Clear plastic wrapping (Clean & dry material only)
What We Do Not Accept:
Spray-in Foam
Insta-pak Foam
Grey Insta-pak Foam
Foil-covered Foam
Pink or Blue Insulation Foam (XPS)
Hot Tub Covers
SEA Club is all about promoting environmental awareness and having fun while learning about current sustainability initiatives. For more information about this event please contact Laura Wild, Club Advisor at lwild@everettcc.edu
Learn more about EvCC Sustainability! www.everettcc.edu/green
Mariya Zelenskyy – Media and Outreach Coordinator sustainability@everettcc.edu