Author Archives: Amy Marpman

About Amy Marpman

Director of Recycling Services at Great Forest, Inc. in NYC. Continually finding the balance of idealism with the practical realities that make or break recycling programs.

Week 5 – The Rubbish Diet

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Amy Marpman

We are already starting week 5 of The Rubbish Diet and I have some success to report:  we did not put any trash out for pick-up during week 4! That doesn’t mean we didn’t generate any waste, but it was … Continue reading →

Posted in The Rubbish Diet | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Cleaning Up and Cleaning Out Stuff

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Amy Marpman

The Rubbish Diet Challenge this past week is cleaning up around the house.  I got to thinking about what we already do and what more we can do in our quest to maintain cleanliness.  Then I started thinking about all the chores I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in The Rubbish Diet | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

My backyard compost options

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Amy Marpman

NYC has a great resource in the Lower Eastside Ecology Center.  They have lots and lots of information, they coordinate with community gardens for resident food waste drop-off and they even sell worms for vermiculture.   We also have botanical … Continue reading →

Posted in The Rubbish Diet | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Rubbish Diet – Week 4

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Amy Marpman

Whew! Busy week last week which not only meant I neglected my blogging duties, but also meant I wasn’t home at all to generate any trash! I’m proud to say that last week we generated only two bags of trash, … Continue reading →

Posted in The Rubbish Diet | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Week 3 trash pick up

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Amy Marpman

I got home last night to see that my hubby dutifully put out the recycling and the trash (Thursday is our second trash pick-up for the week). I was a little confused though. I couldn’t think of what trash there … Continue reading →

Posted in The Rubbish Diet | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Why I’m afraid to compost

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Amy Marpman

I don’t know why I’m afraid of composting.  It’s not necessarily the act of composting itself, I think it is more of the thought of composting and what that entails. Separating my food waste from my other trash is a … Continue reading →

Posted in The Rubbish Diet | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Can I reduce food waste?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Amy Marpman

The clear answer is yes, I can reduce food waste. What is not so clear is how. Meal planning and buying only what we need will help. I’ve been doing better at that. We have recently bought in on a … Continue reading →

Posted in The Rubbish Diet | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Rubbish Diet Weigh In – Week 3

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Amy Marpman

Here we are, week 3 of The Rubbish Diet. Today I put out one bag of trash weighing about 8 lbs. Are my bins any slimmer than when I started? Kind of. By weight I’m not putting out any less, … Continue reading →

Posted in The Rubbish Diet | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Ongoing coffee trials

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Amy Marpman

Oh goodness. Epic fail as I tried out the Keurig make-your-own filter instead of the k-cups.  I may have the wrong grind or was doing something wrong, but there was water spewing everywhere.  A quick internet search indicates this is … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Typical NYC trash

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Amy Marpman

This is what urban residential trash and recycling looks like in NYC.  It’s piled high on the sidewalk in front of the building (this happens to be a large high-rise apartment building in mid-town Manhattan). Typically residents are responsible for … Continue reading →

Posted in The Rubbish Diet | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment