I bought some food yesterday - and rubbish bags. Which gave me pause for thought. You've got to put your rubbish in something - and I try very hard not to collect enough plastic bags to do the job. So then you buy them - which seems a bit silly when you think about it. I did find some biodegradable ones, which made me feel better (at Safeway). It seemed the best option at the time.
When I was a kid (admittedly quite some time ago) rubbish bags weren't invented - everyone wrapped their rubbish in newspaper and put it in the bin. I generally don't buy newspapers and don't think I ought to start just so I can wrap the rubbish!
We've got a worm farm so the worms eat all the vegetable matter (well, most of it - they seem to be unnaturally fussy eaters), but it's all the other non recyclable rubbish that's the issue. Guess it will reduce significantly with buying less stuff.
There are layers of complexity in this not buying business that I had never considered.
Anyone got any brilliant rubbish disposal ideas?
11 comments:
Here's an idea - just use the packaging from other items you've bought for your rubbish.
Thats what we do, and it has never been a problem. We also grab ex-shopping bags from the bag return wheelie bins at the supermarkets (big red wheelie bins that are provided for people to return their used shopping bags). There are always plenty available, and it's just *re-using* again!
Mostly, though, we just use the packing from food items. Frozen stuff, for example, always comes in plastic bags, which we reuse. Bread from the bakery comes in plastic bags too, and we use these as well. Who cares if they don't fit the bin properly? We just keep them inside the bin cupboard in the kitchen, hanging on a peg, and most people are smart enough to figure it out!
Buying bags is very wasteful. Why waste money and destroy the environment at the same time, when you can solve two problems at once - those of excess packaging and needing garbage bags!
there's a great site that has been made into an AMAZING book - living the good life - about an Aussie family that went without spending for a whole year, and they discuss the rubbish problem at length.
They were amazed at how little rubbish they used when they totally used everything.. every little thing..
check it out - www.lintrezza.com
I've been pondering the same problem. Reusing food bags is OK but they are usually very small- how to line the bin is the question.
I bought some garbage bags from Macro today which are made from recycled plastic, so apparently require 40% less energy to manufacture than bags made from virgin plastic. On the down side though, biodegradability is not mentioned, and they are manufactured in the US so they've flown a long way- another big negative. They were also expensive.
I'm not sure they solve our problem. What do you think?
Another question: has anyone found toilet paper from recycled paper that is nice... my daughter saw what I bought today and said it looks like cardboard. Sort of felt like it too.
On rubbish I think the first point of call is to revisit your purchasing habits and check how the food is packaged and how much processed food you eat. We buy lots of food in bulk and take our own containers to the shop eg. at Macro Bondi Junction. Obviously this doesn't work for things like milk.
In our kitchen we also have a system like the one at:
www.franke.com.au/data/sorter70045.htm
We put all our rubbish in and separate out food (goes to compost bin), recyclables (goes into council recyclables bin)and real rubbish. The real rubbish just goes straight into the council rubbish bin - we never wrap it especially - although if there is something to wrap it in we will.
I think we've also got into a mentality of feeling proud if the recycles bin is full to bursting each week/fortnight. Whilst recycling is good we should try to reduce our packaging consumption too ie. the 'rethink' bit before the 'recycle' message.
Alana, your posted captured exactly what I felt this morning when I took out the rubbish before work. Not only are the bags I have non biodegradeable, they're lemon-scented. When they run out, I'll be sure to pick up the biodegreadeable ones.
The other thing is containers. I try to re-use as many as I can, but I've already got more than I need. For instance, I eat a lot of honey. I buy it either in glass jars or in plastic containers. But now I've got as many as I need, so I put the empty ones in the recycling bin.
I'm wondering if there's a food co-op or something in Sydney where I can take my jars and refill them, rather than buy new ones each time. I think people use to do this in the 'olden' days - take their own containers to the markets. It makes sense to me.
I was really happy to see your post! One of my goals this year is to not buy any new trashcan liners.
So far, it's working just fine. I get orange peels for my compost pile from Jamba Juice. The guys at the juice bar put the peels into great big plastic bags, and then into cardboard boxes so the bags don't break. When I've emptied the stuff into the compost pile, I reuse the bag in my kitchen trashcan.
I also have bags and bags of leaves for the compost pile. As I empty those bags...you've guessed it; they go into the kitchen trash bag.
The last couple of weeks, I've just taken the kitchen bag out to the can in the alley and emptied it to be used again (the bag, that is).
i am amazed at how both forward and backward England is in terms of packaging and waste collection. On the one hand it will soon be compulsory for all manufacturers to collect used white goods and electrical equipment at no direct cost to consumer. On the other hand, in the supermarket, they package all their fruit and vegis in separate containers. very little is loose. They still love their plastic bags and I got a strange look when I asked if they had any re-usable shopping bags.
I must be the only one who takes their actual bin out to empty it rather than line it? I suppose my bin isn't all that big, but I just grab the whole thing and take it out to the Otto bin... I wash it out once a week with water I save in the kitchen from draining the cold water off the hot tap...
Zanzan, I don't know about honey but I'm pretty sure Alfalfa House can help on the food front.
www.alfalfahouse.org/
Maybe you don't buy newspapers, but I bet some of your friends do, and they probably put them in the recycle bin. You could ask them to save some for you. I use my papers as weed mats beneath the mulch, but when I don't need them for that I have a lot going to recycling.
Maybe your friends buy newspapers and put them in the recycle bin... ask them to save some for you
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