Library of Congress

What is green paper?

a. a tentative government report of a proposal

b. paper made of post consumer waste

c. money

Answer: none of the above. Truly green paper is no paper at all!

But can we even imagine such a thing?

In my last blog , I talked about organizing school papers. So much paper comes home in backpacks, it becomes unmanageable if not dealt with at least weekly. I think many of us have gotten pretty conscientious about recycling paper, rather than trashing it. But why do we have all that paper to start with?

In 2007 Americans contributed 83 million tons of paper and paperboard to municipal solid waste , according to the Environmental Protection Agency . That's a lotta Kleenex.

Obviously, we’re not just talking about paper. Truly green refuse is no refuse. It’s true, recycling is better than trashing stuff. But recycling has collection and processing costs.... What if we didn’t produce anything that needed to be recycled? Is that possible?

I found a nearly zero-waste family who considers recycling a last resort and who produced a total of one handfull of waste in one year. Hand to the eco-God! The Johnson Family’s mantra is, “Refuse, Refuse, Refuse. Then Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (and only in that order).” Don’t let it into your home in the first place! For true inspiration, check out this family’s blog.

The blog is jam-packed with ideas, but I’ll wet your waste-free whistle with a few tips from this pioneering family:

* Aim for zero-waste grocery shopping. Buy in bulk or at the counter, bring reusable bags for dry goods, glass jars for wet items such as meat or cheese, and bottles for liquids such as soy sauce or shampoo.

* Wash laundry once a week, using eco-friendly laundry detergent, full loads, and cold water cycles as much as possible. For stains, use Savon de Marseille, dishwasher detergent, lemon or hydrogen peroxide.

* As a host/ess gift, bring a jar of a homemade treat, or a favorite bulk item, wrapped in Furoshiki as a host/ess gift. Give the gift of experience as a birthday present, such as a trip to the zoo.

* Refuse junk mail, cancel your phone directories, and sign up for electronic bills and statements.

* Instead of paper towels, use reusable cloths. Instead of sandwich bags, use kitchen towels or stainless containers. Instead of using garbage liners, put wet waste in with compost.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking -- can we really do completely without paper in EVERY room of the house?? The Johnson family suggests: use 100% recycled and unbleached toilet paper individually wrapped in paper. (Whew!)

Americans are action-oriented folks. So the concept of NOT doing something somehow has to creep into not only our imaginations but our value systems. We’re also a culture of consumers. So the concept of NOT buying (or even accepting) things needs to go the same route.

For the past week my son has gone to school without lunch. When I probed, he said he’s been eating things other kids throw away. Ew! I pressed further. Turns out, this is untouched food -- whole apples, breakfast bars, lots of fruit and veggies, he said, and other stuff kids were too full to eat.

I confess, my first reaction was horror that I’d be branded as the poor Mom, too neglectful to feed her own kid. But then someone said, “I hate seeing all that good food get thrown away,” and it wasn’t the Mom. My heart swelled with pride for my 17-year-old garbage picker.

But the question remains, why is this excess stuff here in the first place? As for the food surplus, obviously some parents send too much food to school, and the kids are deep-sixing it (aka feeding my son), rather than bringing it home. Solve that problem, and there’s less waste. (Warn me first, though, so I’ll know to go buy bread.)

For more info, check out these sites: http://www.zerowaste.org

http://www.ecocycle.org/zerowaste/

Realistically, no one can switch to zero waste overnight. This is a process... and anything we do in this direction is a good thing. So, let’s keep REFUSING, reducing, reusing and recycling. Here’s another great website -- www.earth911.com. There's a cool widget at the top where you list your zip code and what you want to recycle, and it gives you places near you that recycle that item.

I’ll be blogging more on this. Is anyone out there living a zero-waste lifestyle, or at least striving for one? Let us hear how you do it!

Judy DiForte is a professional organizer for The Betty Brigade, a relocation, organization and event planning company based in Ann Arbor. Email her at Judy@BettyBrigade.com.