Move toward zero waste means changing the way we look at waste

June 21, 2013By 0 comment

Lately, there’s been a lot of discussion about the possibility of making Lexington a zero-waste city. But what does that mean? Are we talking about never throwing anything away? Recycling every ounce of material that we use?

Actually, it means neither.

Instead, zero waste is the idea of significantly reducing the amount of waste produced by changing the way we look at waste. It includes rethinking before purchasing, reducing packaging, reusing materials to get the most use from them, looking at the waste we produce as a resource, recycling as much as possible, and composting our food waste and organics; thereby throwing very little material into the landfill.

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Outdoor spaces offer opportunities for fun and learning alike

June 21, 2013By 0 comment

As the Kentucky summer starts to ramp up, I enjoy spending more and more time outside. Being someone who struggles with the gloom and gray of winter, the changing seasons and warm temperatures mean more time spent out in the sun, enjoying all that the outdoors have to offer.

That said, as an apartment dweller, it is difficult at times to really capitalize on what summer offers nature-wise. I struggle with the fact that I don’t have a backyard to raise a vegetable garden or the ability to take a dog (none allowed in my apartment complex) on a walk through a neighborhood. Instead, I have to be a little more creative in finding ways to enjoy the season and being outside.

For those of us in apartments without any real outdoor space, a local park is the perfect place to capitalize on the season. Not only can parks offer spaces for recreational sports such as Frisbee golf, basketball, tennis and others, but they are a great classroom as well.

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Having a ‘green’ green lawn is possible when grass is healthy and happy

June 21, 2013By 0 comment

It is almost mid-June and I have not touched my lawn. What I mean is that I have not paid one bit of attention to making it lush and soft and green. Not “green” like environmentally responsible, but “green” like the color.

This is not abnormal for me. I do not mow, I do not fertilize and I do not worry about weeds in my lawn. However, now that my 10-month-old is crawling around and all but refuses to put one bare knee in our lawn, I am starting to reconsider.

There are many ways that the gender roles in my house are reversed. For the time being, I am the breadwinner, and my husband is in charge of kids, cleaning and cooking. The one thing that remains gender-typical is yard work. My husband bought a gas-guzzling riding lawn mower (used!) when we first moved to our eight-plus acres of paradise, and he has been in charge of mowing ever since. I do have to point out that 95 percent of our land is covered in trees, so mowing is not an insurmountable task.

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