Sunday, June 3, 2012

91 Seconds of Recycling

I wanted to film all the little things I do around the house that save water, energy, and waste.  I captured it all, and my son put it together for me.  Once you get past the intro, it's not too bad.


It was inspired when raccoons got into the garbages up and down the street on night, and we could all see what each other had thrown out.  There was a whole lot of styrofoam.  There was also a lot of food waste, which is why critters were in there in the first place.

Here's what I do that anyone could do with very little space and/or money:
1. Find a corner of the yard (even if you're in an apartment) and compost all non-meat/dairy/fats food waste and all yard waste.  That saves 30% of a typical person's garbage from going in the landfill.  I have a bucket on the counter that I take out every day - rain or shine.  It's just a short walk to the back of the yard.
2. Use the green bin JUST for meat, dairy, and fat wastes, then it's small enough to fit in the freezer and you won't get maggots all in your kitchen.
3. Turn off the water when you're not using it - we know about teeth brushing, but turn it off when you're sudsing up your hands too!
4. Hang your laundry on a line.  If you don't have a big freezer, and you're a typical person, then your drier is your number one energy user in your household.  Just say no to the drier and hang clothes outside all summer and inside all winter.  It's a minor inconvenience that saves a lot of energy.
5. Hook up your gutters to rain barrels, and use them to water the garden.
6. Save all your batteries, e-waste, old paint, and styrofoam to take to the dump once you've got lots - take all your neighbour's stuff too, so it can all be disposed of properly.
7. Share a spot on the curb so the garbage truck doesn't have to stop as often - which saves gas.
8. Organize all your waste somewhere so kids can easily put everything in the right place:  a cereal box for all the boxboard, a bag for all the plastic bags, and a small bin for stuff that REALLY has to go in the landfill - mainly anything with mixed materials like granola bar wrappers.

Make it a habit, and it will really make a difference!



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