Recycling!

A few weeks ago we finally went to the dump and I paid a whopping $6 in dump fees for a month and ½ of garbage. Actually, it was quite a lot of garbage even though I recycled a large amount. I took into account that we are purchasing a huge amount of new items for our home and also the fact that we aren’t quite as organized as I would like when it comes to our personal recycle storage area. However, I looked at how much was going into the landfill and mentally visualized a yearly compilation – it was grim. I have a new challenge: To attempt to be, garbage free!

1st stop: local resources! We are so lucky to have a really great transfer station in our area. On our first trip there (carpet padding toss) we picked up a pamphlet to guide us for future visits. They have a really wonderful set up for all recyclable garbage; glass, cardboard, mixed paper, tin cans, aluminum and once a month plastics (only #1 & #2). They also have a web site titled 2good2toss.com where people can post used items. They also have a hazards waste exchange for paints and products.

The Library has a free recycle magazine area, they also take book donations. A local thrift store is happy to take my plastic grocery bags and any household donations. NOTE: I now have 3 reusable bags that I am trying to remember to use!

2^nd stop, outsource via the internet: Freecycle.org lists different communities where people can post items they want to give away – for FREE! And yes, our community is one of them *smile* I signed up for the yahoo group and am amazed and the constant posts of people helping each other out with both want ads and give away items. I also now have a new book on making my own envelopes out of recycled paper (crafty me).

I’m also lucky enough to have a valuable family resource in my son – a former worm farmer! We will be setting up a worm bin for food wastes & paper. WSU extension sites are also a valuable resource; in our area they even have a ‘Master Recycler Composter Training’ each spring, guess where I will be? Tad is making our composter out of recycled plastic bins we used for storage and the worms have been ordered.

We have also ordered a trash compactor! This will smash our recyclable goods down to nothing and allow us to make far less trips to the transfer station (less gas waste!)

I am just so excited about our recycling project. The compost will be fantastic for all of our gardening adventures next spring and I feel like I’m doing my part to lessen the negative impact I have on our environment.