There’s an overwhelming list of tasks to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, but meaningful action can begin with simply minimizing waste.
An extra perk: Creating and fostering these habits can begin as soon as March 1 with aid from Clark County’s annual WasteBusters challenge.
The 21-day challenge, hosted by Clark County Green Neighbors, is intended to inform residents on how to integrate sustainable practices into their everyday life — beginning with cutting out household waste.
Food waste alone contributes about 100 billion pounds of waste annually and is the most common material found in landfills, according to a 2021 assessment from the Environmental Protection Agency. There’s also an accumulation of garbage from single-use plastics and cleaning supplies, all of which pose a risk to the environment.
WasteBusters aims to share what can be done to tackle this waste.
This year’s participants can commit to one of three pledges:
- Lessen food waste by eating all apples, bananas and leafy greens that the person purchases.
- Read household cleaning product labels to better understand associated health and safety risks.
- Minimize single-use plastic waste by not using items such as cling wrap and sandwich bags, instead replacing them with reusable options.
To register for the challenge, visit clarkgreenneighbors.org/reduce-recycle/wastebusters/wastebusters-registration.
For each mission that is completed in a chosen track, participants will earn 50, 100 or 200 points that go toward earning prizes. The amount provided varies depending on a task’s difficulty and time required to complete it.
This year, there’s a new spin on how participants engage with the challenge. Participants will access WasteBusters through the Goosechase app, a scavenger hunt platform available on smartphones and tablets.
Although the challenge officially begins in March, there will be a prior kickoff event where people can learn more about the challenge and Repair Clark County, a waste-reduction program hosted by Columbia Springs. It’s also a way to get a jump-start on earning prizes, as those who attend will score points.
For more information about WasteBusters, visit clarkgreenneighbors.org/wastebusters-challenge.
