You have likely heard of methane, a gas that is 80 times (!!) more potent than carbon dioxide. That means 80 times more harmful than CO2, and when we mindlessly take our trash out every week, very much seeing it as out of sight, out of mind, as the trash truck drives away, it has a lot of harm left to do.

I don't say that to shame you, truly.

I still send out waste each week. Steve and I try to make it smaller and less over time, but I still live in the same world you do, and plastic, disposability, and consumption are just the way things are.

You could drive yourself crazy trying to be zero waste, and still fail...especially as a parent....oooooh, that's the part I find so hard; so much cheap, crappy stuff is given to kids, and the more you try to say, "No, thank you," the more awkward and ostracized your child feels.

That said, I do have one simple way you can make a change that does matter. It really is simple, and in this case, I don't just have a few months or weeks of experience behind my suggestion. I have years.

I purchased my first bag of Repurpose compostable trash bags on June 15, 2020, and I was so impressed with them that I continued to buy them, and still use them. Also, when I used other compostable bags that events had, I noticed that they were much thinner and broke much more easily than the ones I was used to.

Fast forward to May 2024. I was on a panel at Green Sports Alliance, and sitting outside with a friend on lunch, when two women from the conference came up to us and we began to chat.

One of them said she worked for a compostable products company; her name was Daniela. They asked me what I did.

I said I worked with running races on their sustainability initiatives; Daniela said:

"OH! I saw on Instagram someone hosted a trash pickup event a few months ago in Boston and used our bags!"

Then it clicked.

Wait! That was me! You work for Repurpose!

YES! She said.

And from there, a beautiful friendship was born.

As I have hosted many plogging events, I have tried most of the compostable bag brands, and by far and away, Repurpose is the best. I love that they prove that it IS possible for products to be plant-based (made with renewable materials made from corn, cassava, sugarcane, and beets, how cool!!!) and to work well. I know that is the biggest concern friends have asked me about with compostable bags, but these ones are amazing...hence why I have been using them for four years. They are also 2 inches bigger than most other bags, so yes, they will fit your trash can!

It kinda feels like a dream.

Switching to these bags is yet another simple switch you can make. Methane is created when waste, especially food, breaks down in a landfill, and when you use plastic bags, that gas is trapped in there. If the bags are compostable, they break down and don't contribute to that methane development.

As a friend of mine, you can get 20% off using code TINA20

And yes, if you have home composting, these bags are commercial and home compost certified.

This week on the Running For Real podcast...

Here's the official description:

There have been times in Quinton Jacobs’ running life when he chased PRs and qualifying times. Those were physical seasons. He’s also had mental health and adventure seasons, and seasons of running through other people’s experiences. Sometimes, as in the Escape ultra relays he creates, the seasons merge.

Whatever the season, he says, “Running can be such a beautiful reflection of the different phases of your life, if you let it. I've been lucky to be running for well over 20 years. I'm so blessed when I look back at all these different phases of my running journey, because it really does reflect different parts of my life. And I am so happy about this phase right now.”

Here's the real deal:

I met Q just over a year ago. As someone who considers myself an "energy" person, I loved his energy from the moment I met him. We stayed in touch, and have had some great conversations and moments together since. Q was also the person who told me to get the motorized cart out at the grocery store and go have some fun. That was a silver lining in a hard time.

You will feel uplifted and inspired after this conversation; I am sure of it.

Running NYC marathon?

Friday, 1st November at 9:30 a.m., plogging from the NYRR Run Center. Skip yet another shakeout, this will leave your cup filled, I am confident of that!

Saturday, 2nd November, I will run the Abbott Dash to the Finish 5k in my trash skirt in the morning.

At 12 p.m., I will be on a panel at the expo, and at the NYRR booth at 2 p.m., with copies of my book.

I was in Toronto last weekend for the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, watch a 10 second summary of that here (with the caption describing what I did).

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You have heard me talking about the San Diego World Athletics Road Running Championships next September (2025). I am the Sustainability Director, and actually sending you this from San Diego, as I am here for the site visit. The registration page is now open. Yes, this is an elite race, but it is also a mass race for each of the three races; 1 mile, 5k, half marathon. So there is no minimum speed to run it!

If you sign up, please sign up as a "green runner." Check the box; I have some amazing initiativesand I would love for you to be a part of it!

I love those connections that make this big old world feel like a little village.

-Gina Bellman

Thanks to our partner, Repurpose

​Here's that link again if you need it. code TINA20 for 20% off.

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Be kind to one another, yourself, and this beautiful planet of ours.

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