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Talking Trash with Resham Shirsat: Low to No Waste Vacationing Tips

Jun

28

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A Message from Resham Shirsat, Director of Sustainability

Imagine this: You decide to make the most of your last half-day Friday and go to the beach. You are walking down a boardwalk. It’s a cloudless day and the perfect weather to finally get a tan. An emerald ocean is glistening in the magnificent sunlight. Excitement builds with each step. The beach is empty (because most people are working). You walk down the stairs and grab your shoes so you can feel the sand between your toes.

But instead of sand, you feel plastic, paper and glass.

This was the scene of North Avenue Beach, in Chicago, Illinois, after a Memorial Day party. Cleanup for this beach costs taxpayers $4 million per year, and on a busy day the trash is picked up four times a day. Reflective of our now normal throwaway society, isn’t it?

As you make plans for Independence Day weekend and other holidays, there are a few easy ways to greatly reduce the waste footprint you and your family leave on your upcoming vacations — whether you are hitting the beach or visiting a new city. Click the button below to learn how to reduce your waste on vacation.

If you have any questions or would like additional suggestions how to reduce waste, please contact me at rshirsat@valenciacollege.edu or extension 1830.

Related Tags: recycling, sustainability, talking trash