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Nothing in the trash: Elgin woman has tips on producing zero waste

When Robin Migalla talks about producing zero waste for the past two years, she's happy to share her plentiful tips and knowledge.

You compost what you can and reuse or recycle everything else - even if it takes spending money, the Elgin woman said.

She especially gets animated when explaining how to recycle zippered plastic bags: First, you should wash and dry them so they can be reused, she said. But if you have to get rid of them, you either recycle them with plastic bags or ship them off to a specialized recycler.

The test for where they must go is simple, she explained. Cut out the zipper and tear the bag, and if the material stretches and wrinkles at the edges, it goes with the plastic bags. Otherwise, it's put in the mail. (More on that later.)

  Robin Migalla says she packs plastic package waste in a special container to ship off to a company that recycles the contents. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com

When it comes to recycling, "meat diapers" are the one major pain, she said.

Drawing a blank? According to urbandictionary.com a meat diaper is "the absorbent sheet they put under grocery store meats (like ground beef and pork chops) to absorb raw meat juices in the package."

Meat diapers are recyclable, but they take a lot of effort. Migalla rinses them, scrapes all the icky meaty stuff - which goes into the compost pile - and then painstakingly separates their layers, which go either into the fabric or plastic recycling bins.

"Some things are so easy to recycle. Some are such a pain," Migalla said. "These are the most work."

To the average person, the 61-year-old woman can seem extreme, perhaps even fanatical, in her dedication to recycling.

But she doesn't judge those who don't live up to her standards.

"When someone is unaware what they are doing is harmful, they can't be held accountable," she said.

What if they are too lazy or uncaring to recycle?

"You have to ask yourself, what is going on with someone that they can't care? What's broken that they can't care?" she said, not unkindly. "The ability to care is a great gift, and not everyone has it."

  Robin Migalla has an area in her garage where she organizes items to be recycled by companies other than the standard curbside pickup. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com

No garbage

The last thing Migalla put in the garbage was broken glass, about two years ago. She's since learned she can send that to a recycling company in New Jersey called TerraCycle, she said.

Her commitment is made easy by Elgin's curbside recycling program, which applies to "regular" items like plastic bottles, cans, paper and glass bottles, and also clothes and household items. "That's a blessing," she said.

Anything not allowed by municipal recycling, there's a place to recycle it, she said.

Migalla has a compost pile in her backyard for food, tissue and paper towels.

  Robin Migalla composts food waste in her backyard. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com

Other products can be recycled for free through TerraCycle, which provides free shipping labels for toothpaste tubes, candy bar wrappers, cosmetics jars, air fresheners, laundry detergent bottles and many more products.

Migalla recycles plastic foam at Chicago Logistic Service in Elgin, electronics at various Kane County locations, and medical pills at the Elgin Police Department. She also donates stuff and loves the website freecycle.org, where people post about items they need or can offer.

For the very few remaining things, she purchases TerraCycle "zero waste" boxes that take everything except food. The plastic packaging one - where some of the zippered bags go - costs her $148 about once a year, she said.

"That's the thing - you have to be committed to this. It's about willingness and commitment and courage."

A lifelong journey

Migalla said she's been interested in the environment since age 12.

"It sounds really simplistic, but when you throw something away ... where is that?" she said. "If you think about it, the earth is a closed system. 'Away' is somewhere."

For a long time, her focus was on eating organic, locally sourced food, to which she attributes her good health. Becoming aware of the finite nature of resources and committing to recycling was a natural spinoff, she said.

A turning point was watching the 2006 documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," said Migalla, an active member of Elgin Green Groups 350. She'll give a presentation about zero-waste living at the group's meeting Monday.

  Unlike her neighbors, Robin Migalla has solar panels on her home that she says provide 95 percent of the electricity she uses, with the remainder coming from green energy. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com

Migalla owns a home in Elgin's west side on which she installed solar panels in September 2016. She estimates that those provide 95 percent of the energy she uses, including for her electric Nissan Leaf car and electric Zero motorcycle.

"I get to ride on sunshine," she said smiling.

She rents bedrooms to three roommates whose leases have a conservation addendum. The rules stipulate that roommates either recycle or leave their recyclables on the counter so Migalla can take care of them.

Roommate Michelle Kaczor is happy to comply.

"I am really glad she's the expert," Kaczor said, "because it kind of makes my head spin. Her commitment is impressive."

One example: When Migalla eats out with friends, she brings reusable plastic cups and cutlery. She takes a reusable grocery bag to the store and makes thoughtful decisions about what to buy based on whether she can recycle it.

Migalla acknowledged that recycling can be a luxury, especially for people who are preoccupied with securing shelter and food.

"It's a privilege to be able to live like this," Migalla said. "I can afford it."

Her hope is that manufacturers eventually will be held accountable for the entire life cycle of their products. Meanwhile, she's happy that recycling technologies continue to make strides.

"I've been on this journey since I was 12. It's been 50 years," she said, "and I'm still learning something new. They are still coming out with something new all the time."

New Jersey company handles the ‘hard-to-recycle’ stuff

How to have a no waste household

Robin Migalla of Elgin will talk about how to produce zero waste, with tips and a handout about how to recycle pretty much everything. Another speaker will discuss environmentally sustainable lawn care.

When: 6:30 p.m. Monday

What: Monthly meeting of Elgin Green Groups 350

Where: Hawthorne Hill Nature Center, 28 Brookside Drive, Elgin

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