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Across the Fence:  Trashy!!!!!!!  |
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Tidy Aprons
True Blue Farmgirl
99 Posts
Oney Farmgirl #638
Colorado
USA
99 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 24 2009 : 1:57:00 PM
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Did that get your attention??? :D
Good! ;)
Hey, what ways have you and your family members been able to reduce the amount of trash you produce? I'm not asking for any bein' green reason although that is a great idea...I'm asking because no one here wants the job of taking out the trash. :lol:
So, I was thinking, "Fine! we'll just not make any trash and that will take care of that!"
~Oney~
"There's something a little holy in taking care of the places we inhabit, in summoning sheen. And there's a power in watching over our spaces, the rooms we move within, the sets where our life stories unfold." ~Lori Hall Steele |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2009 : 4:01:21 PM
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Growing our own food and I have reusable bags for the produce and fruit I buy at the store. Totes help cut down on the plastic bags. I really look at packaging when I really NEED to buy something. Can I get it in a bigger container, so it lasts longer, less trash? Charlie draws on the other side of printed paper and I make lists. We shred our paper and then give it to the gal who has a little rabbit. Recylcing if we can. I have my smaller container up off the floor outside under the porch, out of the way. Easy enough to grab and put by the curb. Composting for table scraps.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2009 : 4:04:09 PM
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Seems like everything comes in a package of some kind. Anything we can reuse, we do. I do the walmart cloth bags and I reuse grocery bags for several things. We also reuse the feed bags, usually for trash bags but it saves buying big black garbage bags to throw away the feed bags. I use the paper shredder for a lot of the junk mail, it makes good bedding for kittens, chickens too but they have a tendency to eat the colored paper. But use newspapers for chicks. We do not subscribe to the newspaper but get a freebe once a week in the mail. We never throw away newspapers.
I have a friend that uses large cereal boxes to store and catagorize magazines. I think it just makes her stash of magazines look trashy. A nice stack of mags on a bookshelf looks a lot neater. |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2009 : 4:29:19 PM
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After reading all of this great ideas, I see I have things to do now. LOL I do, however, put my food scraps in a compost bin for the worms to do their thing. I give our cans to someone who collects them. It's a beginning. Great post.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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1930sgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
233 Posts
Joyce
Alberta
Canada
233 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2009 : 4:37:10 PM
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Dh and I were just talking about this subject. We think, we create too much trash and have been trying to come up with ways to reduce the amount.
I have made reusable bags for groceries...if only I can remember to take them with me into the store. Our city has just begun a very comprehensive recycling program. Almost everything is accepted! This alone has cut our garbage to at least a quarter of what it was. I feel so much better, especially about the plastics that are not being added to the landfill.
I believe every little bit helps. We try to reuse things and being conscious of what and how we are purchasing things we need. I check packaging now...to make sure it's recyclable or biodegradable.
Joyce |
Edited by - 1930sgirl on Jun 24 2009 4:54:00 PM |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2009 : 4:45:20 PM
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Packaging is just terrible! Most everything is way over on the amount of packaging that it needs.
I too, try to remember to take my cloth bags with me LOL! We do re-use the plastic ones from the stores for picking up after our dogs when we go to the park and do a lot of recycling too. Every little bit helps.
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2009 : 4:49:05 PM
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Doug and I drink WAY too much soda, so we recycle the cans. It helps our community because the High School and City Gov. split the profits. I also buy a lot from Costco which saves on a lot of packaging in most cases. Sometimes I get frustrated when there is extra packaging. I also try to make as much from scratch as possible. As soon as the farmer's market gets going I am going to can which will save a lot of money as well as packaging since I will be able to re-use my canning jars year after year.
Yard waste gets put into the compost heap instead of bagged and trashed. Dog messes go from ground to shovel to paper bag so they can compost in the trash instead of in plastic bags. I am sure there are more but some of it is routine so I will think and get back to you! :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2009 : 6:17:28 PM
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| Just remembered something that noone around here does. I wash and save my sour cream and cottage cheese cartons. When the grandkids are here and I want to send them home with some left overs, I use these cartons. Don't have to worry about dishes being returned. We also have a friend who lost his wife a few months ago. I send a lot of stuff over for him in the cartons. he can warm the stuff up in his plate or bowl. My kids on the other hand, think I am crazy for saving plastic containers. We crush and sell all the soda cans. Ole Ron and I don't drink much soda but when the family is here, there is plenty of coke, pepsi and they bring the beer. I always talk them into leaving one can here so I can make batter or beer bread. |
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acairnsmom
True Blue Farmgirl
1319 Posts
audrey
cheyenne
wy
1319 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2009 : 8:01:08 PM
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I'm trying to buy fewer and fewer processed foods. Seems they all come in a box or can that needs to be thrown away but the closer to nature the less packaging! Wash and reuse my baggies. And compost everything including the egg cartons, coffee and tea, stale flour..We don't subscribe to newspapers anymore so don't have to worry about those and the old magazines get put in the garden walkways to help with weed control.
My big "offender" is all of the big boxes that they put our purchases in when we go to Sam's or Costco. We bought a large fold up tote to put in the car but DH still insists on getting the boxes at the check out. Then you either put them out for the trash or take them to the recycling center. I'd just as soon that Sam's or Costco worried about that! In the meantime the large fold up tote stays folded up! And no, I can't get him to put the boxes back in the car to use the next time. Ack!
Audrey
Toto, we're not in Kansas any more! |
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Tapestry
True Blue Farmgirl
1223 Posts
Cheryl
Wisconsin
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 01:53:41 AM
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I too save plastic butter containers and the like to send home goodies after family dinners with my sons. They love it and I don't have to worry about getting them back. I save my yogurt containers for craft projects, paint and am planning on using them to plant seeds in next spring. We have a recycling program in our city so we recycle plastic, tin, paper, and glass. I could do better. Sometimes I forget things like salad bags that I think could maybe go in for recycling too. I save styrafoam meat trays for paint projects or other things requiring small bits of foam backing. I've recently started a compost pile for food scraps.
Happy farmgirl sister #353
Look for rainbows instead of mud puddles
http://fantasm01.imagekind.com/
http://tapestrysimaginings.blogspot.com/ |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 03:33:49 AM
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We burn all our burnable paper goods in a water stove. The flame heats circulated water that in turn heats our domestic water, and in winter also provides forced air heat. So we need that burnable stuff.
Reduces our trash in half!
We also recycle pop cans and even the pop tops for the Roland McDonald house that has a program for that in Ohio
And of course, all food scraps go to the chickens or compost pile |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 06:06:45 AM
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| Anna, I read about a guy that made a deal with all his neighbors. He ask them to bag their junk mail and set it outside their door. He made the rounds of the neighborhood every evening brought the stuff home, rolled it in tight bundles and burned it in his heating stove. According to the article, he had a $0 heating bill. It is amazing what we can do with a little imagination and effort. |
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Beverly Gill
True Blue Farmgirl
1114 Posts
Beverly
Marlborough
USA
1114 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 07:12:33 AM
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I have gone from 3-4 to putting out 1 plastic garbage bag full of garbage for the garbage men to pick up every week. I fill the brown paper bags every 2 days or so and then empty those into the black plastic garbage bag during the week....then I reuse those brown bags for collecting the garbage....I feel really good not using those plastic bags so much...wish I didn't have to use them at all.
And I am pretty on target for having my reusable totes for shopping everywhere. Stick to it long enough and it gets to be a set pattern.
Beverly Gill |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 07:38:20 AM
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Packaging waste is the worst. I try to compost and recycle as much as possible, but I know I could be doing a lot better.
One neat thing I found recently is that one of the local health food stores sells soaps and cleaners in bulk. You can dispense it into your own container. So I can reuse the same plastic jug for stuff like Dr. Bronners soap.
Also, when I buy bulk grains I try to remember to take the same plastic bag back to the store for next time. It's already got the item code written on it too. |
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Tidy Aprons
True Blue Farmgirl
99 Posts
Oney Farmgirl #638
Colorado
USA
99 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 07:56:15 AM
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Here's my thing. It seems that when I try to "make my own" of anything, it comes down to buying several items to get one item. KWIM? For instance...I made my own laundry soap for a while but I was buying 3 items in cardboard boxes and 1 in weird not-even-paper wrapper to get my end result. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around how this is saving money, the ecological system, and it sure produces more trash.
See what I mean?
~Oney~
"There's something a little holy in taking care of the places we inhabit, in summoning sheen. And there's a power in watching over our spaces, the rooms we move within, the sets where our life stories unfold." ~Lori Hall Steele |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 08:01:40 AM
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We have definitely reduced our garbage outage by recycling, however, I'm VERY disappointed that many items can't be recycled in our area (why?)...like plastic bags that you get from stores. I do carry my own, but at the Kroger I shop, the little girl with Downes bags my groceries most of the time, and she has a penchant for putting ONE item in each plastic bag, and THEN puts them all in your "eco friendly" shopper. I've tried "helping" and telling her "why don't we just dispense with these bags and use mine only.." but...well, bless her! She's so darn cute and I don't have the heart to say it again. So, I reuse those bags in our small trashcans, or to pick up dog waste when we're walking, or something that at LEAST I get more than one use from. That's the only thing I can think of doing so far with them!
My husband burns a lot of our cardboards and things that can't be recycled, even though the box says it can be!!!
We have an enamel cannister with a lid that I throw all our kitchen waste in for the compost pile. It's a good reminder for me everytime I head to the garbage out of habit.
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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lilwing
True Blue Farmgirl
1403 Posts
Brooke
Fulshear
Texas
USA
1403 Posts |
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kpaints
True Blue Farmgirl
1564 Posts
karen
cheney
wa
1564 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 11:58:11 AM
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Some time back I started a compost can (check with Rene' Prosser Farm Chick) for all wet garbage, including some paper. All paper products, junk mail, coffee cups etc, jars, plastic etc goes to recycling and I repurpose as much as possible. I eat organic vegts and fruit, etc, almost no packaged food. The thing that surprised me is that my garbage became all about plastic when I got down to it...a shock to me. But I was able to give up garbage pickup! I may have a small garbage bag to get rid of once every 5-6 weeks. I feel so free! Garbage free! lol
Find your joy and live it. http://cheneybaglady.blogspot.com/http://www.kpaints.etsy.com http://www.thevintagebaglady.etsy.com FG #377 |
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chaddsgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
843 Posts
Sarah
Farmgirl Sisterhood #639
MO
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 12:31:56 PM
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I save plastic containers to store leftover's in as well. We call it "hillbilly tuperware". I love it because it can be easily thrown away or sent home with someone else. No problem. I started recycling about 6 months ago and I committed whole heartedly. I've been recycling cardboard, plastic, tin cans, aluminum cans, everything plus I composte all kitchen scraps. Our trash only get's picked up once a month and we always had 6 - 8 bags full. The first month I started recycling instead of having 6-8 bags of trash, we had 1. I was so excited it spurned me on to keep going.
The chief source of failure and unhapiness is trading what you want the most for what you want at the moment. |
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Across the Fence: Trashy!!!!!!! |
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Trashy!!!!!!!
