When it comes to avoiding trash, that starts in the store. Think about how something is packaged, when there is tons of styrofoam with no # or tons of "blister" packaging, think twice before you buy it.
By reusing things, I repurpose them. We make bird feeders out of milk cartons. To-go containers for lunch are butter, sour cream or cottage cheese tubs. Toilet paper tubes are used as binoculars for the kids. Or I literally reuse things by using freecycle or donating to a charity. I even take used egg cartons to my local friendly egg supplier (or you can take them to the farmers market).
I love to garden, so it made no sense that I went to Home Depot to buy compost when I could make it myself at home. It couldn't be easier. I layer "brown" (yard waste-leaves, pine straw, weeds) and "green"(kitchen waste, rinds, eggshells, napkins, pasta, etc.) and I add a little water and the sun adds the heat. I wait a few months and I have beautiful black gold (aka compost). I did learn a few months ago that I should NOT add receipts from restaurants and stores. These receipts commonly are printed with ink that contains BPA. That BPA does not go away when you make compost, therefore getting into anything that you grow. Yuk!
Luckily I live in Roswell, GA and recycling here is pretty advanced. We don't have to sort recycling and we can recycle plastics #1-6. Most cities are 1 and 2 only. Regardless of this fact, I would still recycle everything some way or another. If in doubt, I go to my favorite recycling website. This place has it all and even some tips that even die-hard-greenies might not know. One thing I do make sure to do is remove the tops of all containers, no matter what material. Hard plastic tops can be recycled at Aveda. Some things that I have learned along the way: aluminum foil doesn't have to be washed, just pick off the food, so the bugs don't have a picnic. All paper is recyclable as long as it is not shiny. Break down boxes, small and large. Don't put broken glass in the bin. Make sure your area recycles paper milk cartons (usually 1/2 gallon), most don't, so don't buy them. Most importantly, don't let trash get in your recycle bin.
I feel like I have an obligation to my kids and their kids and their kids' kids' to leave the earth better than I found it. I might not be here in a hundred years, but my trash will be. That should be a reason to care.
Hi Green Jen!
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to find your blog. I love that you are doing what you are doing, and spreading the word about it! We just moved to Roswell, and want to start our new yard/gardening with as close to organic methods as we can. We have a lot of clay-heavy soil, and need to enrich it. Since there is so much, it will take too long to get enough compost that we generate ourselves. Do you know anywhere locally to get good compost without spending a ton?
Hi Melinda,
ReplyDeleteYou can have a load of compost and topsoil brought in, but it would be easier and cheaper to buy bags and work on one area at a time. Pick an area and dig up the clay soil and try to either add mushroom compost or natures helper (both are found at Home Depot). After adding, you can plant immediately, but you might want to wait until Sept or Oct, b/c it is too hot. If you start working an area a week, half of your yard might be ready by the fall.
Green Jen