The Energy Use Self-Study

Growing up in suburbia I learned about the 3Rs, Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse.  But it wasn’t until we were expecting our twins that my wife and I decided to look at what diapers would do to our environment.  One disposable diaper could sit in a landfill anywhere from 250 to 500 years; I can’t even imagine that length of time.  My family was about to grow not by one but by two that is 16 diapers a day for a minimum of 3 years (17,520 diapers).  People ask all the time, how I do it?  My response is almost always the same “I just wash my hands more frequently.”  Then I smile and explain more.  I don’t see cloth diapering to be more difficult, probably because I haven’t done it any other way.  I also don’t have to worry about running out of diapers and having to run out to the store in the middle of the night.  That aside, when Josephine and Dylan came into my life it changed.  I think about providing for my family and making this world a better place for them.  In December my wife and I decided to become vegan, for health reasons.  Soon after that we terminated our cable contract with Time Warner and purchased a Roku box.  If you want information on Roku check this out http://www.roku.com/.  Becoming more environmentally conscience just sort of came to us as a family like a bulldozer.  I am not ready to give up my 10yo leather jacket yet, but I am willing to make more changes to reduce my carbon footprint.

My “Energy Use Self-Study” will be to see what effect giving up shampoo and conditioner will have on landfills/recycling centers and my wallet.

The Study

1: Determine an essential question.

"How can we reduce the number of plastic bottles that we bring into our house, that would eventually need to be discarded via recycling or garbage?"

2: Operationalize the essential research question.

"If I used one bottle or container for shampoo and one bottle for conditioner for 2 or more years how many bottles would not end up in a landfill or recycling center?

3: Create a preconception inventory, allowing students to track their own learning.

I think that my home will generate less garbage, more room in the bathroom for things like bath toys for kids and save money.

4:  Google existing info on the topic.


I thought there would be a ton of information out there.  There is but it does not exactly pertain to my ideas.  The first website I found was http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/recycling/recycling_nyc.shtml, where I found specific details on what can and cannot be recycled.  All shampoo and conditioner bottles can be recycled, once they are emptied and rinsed.  I thought that if my shampoo bottle did not make its way into the recycling center it would go to a landfill for a couple of decades.  http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/how-long-does-it-take-for-plastics-to-biodegrade.htm explains that I am wrong.  Plastic does not actually break down on landfills.  The bacteria that we rely on to eat away at our garbage does not like plastics.  I found a youtube video of "The Story of Bottled Water" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0&feature=like-suggest it sounds kind of unrelated but plastic water bottles and plastic shampoo bottles are similar, Annie talks about her travels to India and how the US ships our old plastic bottles to them.  There some bottles don't get  recycled but downcycled.  Downcycle means that instead of being recycled back into water bottles it is made into lower quality products that would be chucked later.  In an effort to reduce the number of plastic bottles my family uses, I researched home-made shampoo and conditioner options.  Melissa at  http://www.eco-friendly-africa-travel.com/no-poo.html explains her story of not using shampoo or conditioner as well as provide recipes to use a baking soda and water mixture to cleanse your hair as well as an apple cider vinegar and water mixture to tone your hair. At greenliving tips  http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/61/1/Baking-soda-introduction.html, Michael talks about how baking soda and vinegar are both environmentally conscience items.  Beth at http://myplasticfreelife.com/ made an even grander commitment; she has reduced her household to an almost plastic free home.

5:  Determine the data you need to answer the question.


There is not a lot of data that I need.  Most of the data can be easily obtained by paying a little more attention while I shower.  This is a difficult task for me because I shower in the morning before work, which puts my morning shower at 5:30am and I am sleepy.
That being said, the data I need is:
how many times I use shampoo a week
how many times I use conditioner a week
how much shampoo I use with each wash
how much conditioner I use with each conditioning
how many times a week I use home-made shampoo
how many times a week I use home-made conditioner
how much home-made shampoo I use in each wash
how much home-made conditioner I use in each wash

6:  Determine the methodology needed to get the data.


I will write down in my Google calendar when I shampoo and condition my hair.  This will be easy because I shampoo and condition the same days.  I contemplated bringing a measuring spoon into the shower.  I was afraid that I would limit myself by a certain spoon if I tried to measure it, so I will just put the shampoo and conditioner in the palm of my hand and use my cooking skills.  I will place the amounts in an Excel spreadsheet.  After I finish my shampoo and conditioner I will make some home-made shampoo with baking soda and water.  I will also make conditioner with apple cider vinegar and water.  I will use the same method of collecting data.

7:  Conduct the research, and obtain and store the data.


"No Poo Data Collection"
I collected data using a Google docs spreadsheet.



8:  Perform an analysis in light of the research question, playing "what if?" with your lifestyle.


"Going No Poo, Data Analysis"
I analyzed the data using a Google docs spreadsheet.  This analysis includes the "what if?" power of ten.




9:  Present conclusion.

Conclusion




10:  Cite the limits of the study and describe the need for further study.

I realized that as I was analyzing the data, there were many levels.  I could have been more diligent on measuring exactly how much shampoo and conditioner I use as well as the homemade counterparts.  When I realized that I was not washing my hair as often, I immediately thought about the use of water.  The next person who does this study will hopefully look into the aspect of saving water.

11:  Revisit your preconceptions - what did you learn?

I  thought that my home would generate less garbage, make more room in the bathroom for things like bath toys for my kids and to save money.

I do generate less garbage, a nominal amount but less.  There is no more or less room in the bathroom.  My home-made shampoo and conditioner occupy the same space as the shampoo and conditioner. I do save some money, about $50 a year.  In the grand scheme of things it is not much. 

Definitely worth the hassle and I feel like a better person because of it.

12:  Post findings online:

No Poo Presentation