Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Been Awhile!

Sorry All for not having written in so long. I haven't stopped living Green or anything Crazy like that, but life has distracted me from doing what I love which is write for some unknown audience!!!
Life is much more simple in Blog Land.

So a funny thing happened on the way to put out trash @ the curb....

My husband was talking with the neighbor down the street about how much garbage we put out at the curb. We normally don't even put out one. We just don't fill it in a week and I'm currently seeking out a can smaller then 32 gallons (FYI: its HARD to come by) so I can get the "mini-can" rate from our garbage company.
Our neighbor was floored we don't put out a can each week as he puts out 2 cans every Friday. Neighbor guy concluded he has 2 cans out each week because he has 2 boys. Interesting. We have one boy, but he doesn't really produce much trash.

So I started thinking, how is it we produce so little trash each week? Besides just recycling nearly everything I possibly can. I mean, why is it I don't have to take out the trash daily??
Well, there are a few good things we do daily to reduce the amount of trash we produce.
  • I buy stuff w/ the most minimal packaging possible. If I have to choose between and item wrapped in one piece of plastic vs. multiple things wrapped in plastic, I'll opt for the one w/ the most minimal amount of packaging possible.
  • When I do shop I do "pre-cycle" aka: I look for stuff that is packaged that I can recycle. Knowing I can buy it w/ the intention of recycling it when I'm done w/ it helps a lot.
  • We compost ALL kitchen scraps. Waste that can be composted saves a ton on your garbage bill. Instead of taking out the garbage daily, we take out the compost bin nearly every day. Why Should you Compost?
    "It is estimated that some 35 percent of the residential
    waste stream consists of compostable materials (kitchen and yard wastes).
    Encouraging backyard composting is one of the simplest, most effective steps that can be taken to reduce the amount of waste requiring transport to landfill sites. Composting cuts disposal costs, saves energy, and reduces air and water pollution. An added plus, composting generates large volumes of a highly desirable garden soil amendment." (According to the Compost Action Project site
    )
  • I only shop when I need to. This is more of a thrifty lifestyle thing then looking to not put out 2 cans at the curb. But it still works in saving on my trash bill and my wallet.
  • We give away stuff that to us might be trash--to others its a treasure. Thank You Craigslist & your Free Section. We have given away everything from scrap wood to old clothes. People will seriously take anything for free.
  • We don't get take out very often. Think about when you bring food home from a restaurant. Seriously they package everything and then some! And those styro containers? Yuck. Not eco-happy people.

So those are just a few examples of how we keep our trash to a minimum around our house. It works for us. It might not work for your family of 7, but you can still keep it to as little as possible if you just try. Remember -- Think before you buy.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Well we have a family of 4 and when Kurt put the trash can at the curb this evening he commented that we only had one bag of trash in the can. I bet the trash people wonder if we are stashing it someplace else since we used to fill the can and then some. It was almost always bursting at the lid. Amazing what green living and recycling and all the other things you mentioned can do. :)

MKD said...

LOL! That is funny Mary. Where ARE you hiding all that trash!?!