Community Art as Advocacy: Are You What You Eat?

Almost everyday, there’s a story in the news about how plastic production and plastic waste impact our climate, health, and environment.

Did you know that many single-use food/drink packaging containing plastic is not recyclable? Or that it’s been estimated that the average person consumes about a credit card’s weight worth of microplastics weekly?

In celebration of Earth Day in May, we’re collaborating again with our sustainability allies at the Munroe Center for the Arts on a “wish-cycling” sculpture of a larger than life-sized person relaxing on a bench. Created from chicken wire recycled from last year’s sculpture and filled with the packaging materials left over from food and drink consumed by community members, the sculpture is meant to raise awareness about certain types of packaging that is not recyclable, as well as highlight the amount of plastic that we ingest unknowingly, the potential for harm, and what we can do as individuals and a community to change our habits for the betterment of all.

This year, we’re focusing on aseptic food and drink packaging made from composite materials–plastic/paper/aluminum–that render them unrecyclable, namely juice/milk/broth/goldfish cartons and foil-lined chips bags.

Participate in this art activity by saving your aseptic packaging waste items and adding them to the sculpture on the front lawn of the Munroe Center for the Arts  (1403 Massachusetts Ave).

The filled sculpture creates a visual impact of these non-recyclable plastics, which could eventually become microplastics that end up in our bodies, air, water and soil.

Are There Alternatives?

• • Choose plastic-free packaging if possible: 

Dairy Milk:

If you drink dairy milk, consider buying returnable/reusable glass bottled milk, for example, from Crescent Ridge. Their bottled milk is usually available locally from LexFarm, Wright-Locke Farm, Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, and Wegmans. Check the Crescent Ridge website for other local retail or delivery options.

DIY Plant-Based Milk:

If you drink plant-based milk and have a blender, you can make your own almond milk following this 1-minute recipe:

• • ¼ cup almond butter (or 64g)*

• • 32 oz water

Blend for 1 minute.

* If you have a power blender, such as a Vitamix, you can also use whole raw or roasted almonds, and blend for 2-3 minutes. If you’d like to avoid single-use packaging, you can buy almonds from Debra’s Refillery in Concord which allows you to bring your own containers to refill.

* You can also substitute almond with other nuts/seeds.

What Else Can You Do?

• • As you collect your aseptic packaging waste to add to the sculpture, make an inventory of the brands on the packaging.

• • Write to the companies using these unrecyclable, single-use packaging, and ask them to transition to a returnable/reusable packaging system.

• • Write to your legislators and ask them to sponsor bills that advance reuse/refill solutions to our waste problem.

Other Ideas

If you have other ideas about alternative solutions and actions, send them to us at info@lexzerowaste.org, and we’ll add them to this page.

ZeroToGo Reusable Takeout Launching in March

Supported by a grant from the Community Endowment of Lexington, an endowed fund of the Foundation for MetroWest, LexZeroWaste has developed a pilot program for reusable takeout called ZeroToGo. Those who register to participate will have the option to order take-away meals from Royal India Bistro in returnable/reusable stainless steel containers with silicone lids.

After a year of planning, we are launching ZeroToGo with Royal India Bistro. The returnable/returnable containers are ready to be tracked with the USEFULL app. 

Participation in this pilot program is limited to 60 LexZeroWaste members who will be eligible to register for one of three four-week sessions. ZeroToGo orders may be placed Mondays through Thursdays only.

Please see full information on our ZeroToGo web page.

Zero Waste Plan Underway for Lexington

LexZeroWaste is pleased to announce that following the adoption by Town Meeting on April 6, 2022 of Article 27, a Zero Waste Resolution for Lexington put forth by LexZeroWaste’s Advocacy Working Group, working group Co-Chairs Hien Nguyen and Janet Kern have accepted an invitation from Director of Public Works David Pinsonneault to serve as members of the Town’s Zero Waste Plan working group.

The Town of Lexington’s Department of Public Works has engaged the services of consultants
from Zero Waste Associates, Ruth Abbe and Amy Perlmutter, to facilitate the development of a
Zero Waste Plan for Lexington with the input of Town staff and residents, as stated in the
Resolution. Abbe and Perlmutter have developed zero waste plans for Boston and Brookline,
and dozens of other municipalities throughout the country.

“Janet and I are honored to serve on the Zero Waste Plan working group and excited to
continue our productive partnership with Town staff to craft a Zero Waste Plan that will provide a road map for our community to move closer to zero waste and minimize our impact on environmental justice communities,” said Hien Nguyen.

Under the leadership of Mr. Pinsonneault, additional members of the Zero Waste Plan working group include Superintendent of Environmental Services Robert Beaudoin; Sustainability & Resilience Officer Margaret Peard; and Waste Reduction Task Force members Cindy Arens and Diane Pursley, who responded to Mr. Pinsonneault’s invitation for two members of the Town Manager-appointed task force to serve on the Zero Waste Plan working group. LexZeroWaste members Arens and Pursley also serve on the Waste Reduction Task Force as representatives of LPS Green Teams.

The scope of work for the Zero Waste Plan includes listening sessions that Zero Waste
Associates will conduct with key stakeholders, which could include school representatives,
community organizations, business representatives, environmental and environmental justice
organizations, and local and regional service providers. Town residents will also have theopportunity to respond to an online survey to provide input on the barriers and opportunities for
reducing waste and increasing recycling and composting in Lexington.

The Zero Waste Plan working group convened on June 16th for the first of four planned
meetings with the objective of producing a practical, action-oriented Zero Waste Plan by Fall
2022.

Community Art as Advocacy: Let’s Rethink Black Plastics

Earth Day Sculpture welcomes your black plastic!

Did you know that black plastic is not recyclable?

LexZeroWaste and the Munroe Center for the Arts are collaborating again for Earth Day 2022.

We’re reprising a sculpture activity from last year that combines art and zero waste to continue to raise awareness about ubiquitous materials in our household trash that are not recyclable. This year, we’re focusing on black plastics: food containers, utensils, seedling pots and trays, shampoo bottles, etc.

Participate in this art activity by saving your black plastic waste items and adding them to the sculpture on the front lawn of the Munroe Center for the Arts  (1403 Massachusetts Ave).

These black plastics may be labeled #1, #2, or #5 plastic––which are technically recyclable––but due to their black pigment, the optical scanners at the recycling facilities are unable to detect and sort them to be recycled. Instead they end up as “residue” and get treated as trash.

Let’s come together as a community to create and celebrate art while raising awareness about non-recyclable materials in our daily lives.

What Else Is Not Recyclable?

Zero Waste Resolution Passes!

Thank you to all those who voiced their support for the Zero Waste Resolution for Lexington. Last night, by a vote of 174-4-8 for Article 27, Lexington Town Meeting adopted the resolution, including agreeing to adopt zero waste principles and encouraging a zero waste plan!

So what does this exactly mean for Lexington? Well, this was a “non-binding resolution”, meaning that the Town is not obligated to take any action. However, it is a strong statement that Town Meeting would very much like to have a plan developed as soon as possible that will offer solutions for town wide waste reduction. We are already working with the Town’s Waste Reduction Task Force and the DPW on these issues. The adoption of this resolution will encourage and hopefully accelerate that work.

If you are not already a LexZeroWaste member, please consider joining to support and contribute to continued efforts to reduce waste in Lexington! We look forward to hearing from and working with you!

2nd Annual Upcycled Art Contest