I have to agree with Mulberry204. I'm an allergy sufferer, too, and smoke from burning trash makes my allergies even worse. Also, while burning trash in the country might not affect those nearby, it still affects the ozone layer.
May I suggest Freecycle? There are groups in a lot of places you wouldn't expect, we even have one in my small city. I'm currently collecting our empty egg cartons and whatever else I can think of, and post once I have an amount someone else might be able to use.
Since you're already recycling, I know your used jars would be clean. I've seen "wanted" posts on my Freecycle group for empty boxes, and a variety of things. If it's clean and reusable, it's Freecyclable.
For info and to see if there's a group near you, go to www.freecycle.org.
I understand about taking trash elsewhere, especially if one's circumstances prevent being able to afford a trash service. I've been there. I would recycle as much as possible - tin cans (lids can be removed from both ends and can smashed), plastic bottles, glass jars, paper. Garbage can be buried in the back yard/garden. For the small amount that you take into the service station - I really wouldn't worry about it. As far as the burn pile - fire reduces everything to its original elemental state, and living in the country - there are very few people who are going to be affected by whatever pollutants that might be produced - they'll probably dissipate by the time it reaches town.
I mean these comments in a nice way. If everyone dumped their small bags of trash at retail locations - or anywhere except the dump. Think how expensive it would be for the retailers? What right do any of us have to place our trash in gas stations, malls, whatever? I have a friend who also does this & justifies it in her own mind, but it offends me.
A gas station does not owe you trash dumping services. Also, as an allergy sufferer, I do not like trash pit or barrel burning. It is an air pollutant for everyone, & particularly bad for allergy, & breathing problem sufferers as well as others. What you have is a miniature "dump" with burning wastes. When I lived in the South, many people had trash burning. It made my breathing miserable as well as polluted air for everyone. Just my thoughts.
I don't know how you handle Christmas, but I would suggest your gifts be hand made or something you have baked like cookies. You could wrap them in the leftover cereal type boxes. If you don't give to family, how about giving to a homeless shelter or senior home, etc. I reuse paper towels that I put in freezer bags that I have washed out. The towel absorbs the water in the bag. It will dry out and can be put in another bag to absorb moisture again.
I reuse the black containers from Lean Cuisine meals for other meals I have made ahead. I put the container in a quart size freezer bag, perfect fit, and freeze. Can fix meals for this purpose or store leftovers for future use. Do not use the bags with the tab you slide across, use the ones you have to close yourself.
My homeworker and I made hamburger helper on our weekly cooking day, and got three containers to freeze. I see nothing wrong using the container at a gas station, people clean out their cars and put stuff in them. If you used a neighbors container, it would be different. I for one appreciate all the efforts you do to recycle, wish more people were that thoughtful.
Recycle everything possible! Plastic liter bottles (actually, plastic of every kind is now being taken in my area of Texas), aluminum cans, metal cans, glass, newspapers, junk mail, etc. Recycling costs way less than using raw materials to make new things. Think of creative ways to "repurpose" things before they end up in the recycle bin: use greeting cards for new cards, tags, placemats, doorknob hangers, boxes, etc. Use cereal boxes for purses. Fill plastic liter bottles with things you can mail to friends. A wealth of ideas can make repurposing fun and creative!
jmz2005 :
i really like the insulating the dog house idea & will try the mousepad thing --
i made a footstool from dinnerplate sized recycled cardboard box circles stacked about 18" high & covered -- secure sections of the circles (i did 5 sections up in tape) or they will slide every which way
Ree 127 : i like the seedlings idea too - but i have cut back to only buying 1/2 gal jugs of milk at a time since it is only me drinking it -- would still be ok for plants though too
camo_angels :
another good idea! thanks
thanks everyone !
For items like milk jugs and cereal boxes, try advertising them on freecycle.com or on the free craiglist. Many people use them, especially gardeners and teachers, and may be grateful to get them!
I am trying to reduce my garbage from my household. Two big fillers are milk jugs and flat cardboard boxes (ie, cereal and pop boxes). Anybody have any great ideas for recycling them. Our city doesn't recycle.
Thanks,
Jenn
By camo_angels
By Ree 127
By Marisa
By jmz2005
Reuse is your key to create less trash! Once you reuse a say a milk jug for something else you in-turn save the material, energy, and money it would take to create that item.
When you do your trash make sure it is as small and flat as possible, less as much of the air as it can possibly be. You even get an exercise benefit by doing that. Try cutting both lids off the tin cans if you must throw them away, then the squeezing or flattening them.
Plastic soda bottles? There are probably thousands of reuse possibilities for plastic bottles. They are next to impossible to recycle, so again if you must throw them out you have differant venues you can use. Flatten them with your feet. I once cut up an uncounted number of 20 oz plastic bottles into tiny little pieces and funneled them all into a 2-litre plastic bottle then capped it. On that alone I probably saved 2 whole trash bags and I occupied myself for hours.
I also have stuffed vast amounts of trash into one 2 litre bottle. One time a whole waste can full.
Garbage, well there is always composting or donating your left overs to a farmer .
I guess you know about the crafts you can do with those meat styrofom platters? Oh, I once used many of those platters piled together in a certain number to help insulate my dogs house. I simply built two walls all around and stuck those clean meat trays inside with some old plastic covering. Shep never complained.
Then you have your detergent and other bottles. Yes, you can reuse some of them, but you are better off trying alternative safer cleaning products. You can find them on here and on Frugal. The funny part, most of these alternatives are even cheaper and are multi-use. Will they clean as good? We don't even know what harm, say using a chemical detergent does to our bodies over a long period of time, so you miight consider this aspect when you try alternatives.
What is left? Paperboard cereal boxes. Well I am right now trying to make up a list of 100 alternative reuses of these things. At least they are biodegradable and as far as I know the printing inks aren't too bad on the environment.
I just happened to look at what I use for a mouse pad. It is just one panel of an Eggo Waffle box. I have had it here for at least 2 years and it still works. Less trouble with my mouse. I think I have had to clean it once. So there is at least 1 part of 1 EGGO Waffle box that hasn't hit the landfill yet, and when it does it will be torn into very small pieces.
Trash Today, Reuse it Tomorrow and Save Money, Time And Energy.
Click. I guess my mouse agrees. I Wish You Less Trash.
Mr Thrifty (07/15/2006)
By Mr. Thrifty
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