Hello Everyone,

Thank you again to the 49 families who completed the 2012 LCS Challenge! We were thrilled with the results of the Challenge and wish to congratulate everyone on a job well done! With this high number of participating families, Lake Country School received a $1,000 grant from the Waukesha County Green Schools fund!

In the end, LCS families reduced their trash 30% and increased recycling 12%. If kept up for a year, this would result in 21,250 less pounds of trash sent to the landfill, and 1,200 more tons of recycling from these families!

If just 1/4 of the households in Waukesha County did as well as the LCS families, the annual cost savings would be over $310,000 in trash costs and recycling revenue.

Thank you again to everyone for doing such a great job and we hope the lessons and habits stick for you and your family for years to come!

- Waukesha County Recycling

We were really pretty good about recycling before the Challenge. I had even succeeded at getting my husband to stop putting #5's in the bin. However,with the summer produce season approaching, I realized how much organic waste contributes to our overall weights.

I bought a compost bin, but I have yet to set it up. For the sake of this challenge, we found a lazy solution.

My neighbor is the most efficient person I know. It's because of my secret admiration for her that I signed up for this challenge. The trash bin she sets out each week is the same size as the one sitting next to my desk, catching my shredder waste. She even hangs her clothing out to dry...sometimes in the winter!

So, for the past two weeks, we have been sneaking our kitchen waste into her bin. Here are the incriminating photos.

https://picasaweb.google.com/100226607441851465670/Composting?authkey=Gv...

Is your family sure that ALL of the recyclables are going into that blue bin? Remeber that all types of clean paper and paper packaging can be included in your recycling setout. So even if you don't subscribe to a newspaper you should have junk mail, paper packaging, school and home office papers, cardboard boxes, cereal cartons, phone books, old paperback books etc. to include in your recycling weights. Maybe you have some old files that need cleaning out or old magazines piled up in the basement. Bundle them up and weigh them for the final week of the Challenge!

Check the recycling list at http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/defaultwc.aspx?id=39875

Hello, all:
Are you compost-challenged?
Since my compost bin is cooking away at home with this early spring/summer weather, it's a good time to remind you that there is only one week left to pick up one of the best compost bin designs on the market at Retzer Nature Center! What a steal deal at half-price: $34! Talk about the ultimate recovery of a wasted resource! Turn your food scraps into a beautiful soil amendment for your yard & gardens.
Here's a question for you: What is one of the worst things you can put into a landfill? The answer: food waste/organic materials. Why? Intrigued?
I'd be happy to do a mini-compost workshop at the school for any families interested in learning more. I have great classroom presentations for students on this subject, too. Or, get your bin now and join us later for composting workshops at Retzer on April 14 (adults) and June 2 (kids & adults). For more information, click on the "School of the Lands" link at:
http://www.waukeshacounty.gov/defaultwc.aspx?id=39577

It's amazing how much a weekend trip can decrease your garbage! It is also amazing how differently we are thinking now that we have participated in this challenge a few weeks. We spent the weekend in Florence WI where they collect recyclables once a month. So, for those vacationers and vacation home owners, that is really inconvenient and it looks like most of the trash just goes in the garbage can or is burned. It was really eye opening how we are a society that craves convenience! If its not easy we fold. What is the consensus on burning???? I think I know the answer but am curious what others think!!

We find throwing away leftovers adds a LOT of weight to our garbage. Trying to eat those leftovers has really helped keep the weight down at the end of the week.

After reading this thorough article - I wonder what is the best shopping bag?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17027990

Ok when I signed up for this, I forgot the fact the fact that we are finishing off our basement! Now I have more garbage than usual. We are trying hard though to put any possible building materials in recycle! Any ideas?!

I use a lot of newspaper in the art room as well as empty containers, etc. My question is what should I do with something we have reused when I am done with it? For example, if newspaper has been used to cover tables while painting, should it be put in the recycling or the trash?

After touring the recycling facility and noting that much of the sorting is done by hand, I'm concerned about the safety of recycling broken glass. What's the best way to package my broken vase to make sure the sorters don't get hurt?

In our first week of composting we reduced trash weight by 11 pounds! This is the biggest change for the Davis family; I think we were already doing pretty well with recycling prior to the challenge. Does anyone have a lead on a not-so-ugly composter with a crank? The only one I've found locally is at Home Depot and it is very industrial looking... On a related note, I appreciate the dialog about pet waste. Wish there was a better solution!

OK What to do with those small, medium and large plastic containers from the sald bar and deli counter, also what about empty pill containers? These are "weighing" me down.

My husband likes things to be neat. He even likes the roadsides to be neat. So, when he goes jogging, he carries trash bags and picks up litter along the roads. He's found some interesting things along the way, his favorite being an unopened can of Miller beer. I have weighed the trash he's found but haven't included it in our family totals for the week. Would you like me to add those in or do we consider those to be Good Samaritan pounds and not include them? I'm thinking they are like vacation calories and that they don't count.

Oh the sad impact on my garbage weight that weekend spring cleaning had! Humbling how quickly it all adds up. We aim to do better this week!

I have made two trips to the compost area at the school. I was dissapointed on the last one to have to pick up plastic trash folks had left in the composte area, there should be a sign

Lynn Brabson