I’ve started this blog as a place where we can explore creative ways to keep from adding to our landfills.
I don’t mean just taking newspapers to the green-and-yellow bins at the local nonprofits, and separating recyclables from non-recyclables. I want to explore the whole spectrum of Reduce/Reuse/Recycle.
For instance:
- I donated a bunch of worn-out knee-high stockings to a community garden. They make wonderful ties for staking tomato plants.
- I take rags (clean, washed if necessary) to the local humane society. They always need them.
- Empty, clean food-grade containers go there, too. (I use a lot of protein powder, which comes in large plastic tubs with screw-on lids.)
- Castoff computer parts go to a local high school with a service club that cannibalizes them to build computers for local non-profits and people who can’t afford a computer.
- When Crystal Light drink mix came in small plastic tubs, I saved them for a nearby daycare center. They love these little food-grade containers for doling out craft supplies and other small-portion materials for tiny hands.
Let’s let this blog be a place where we can exchange more thoughts about keeping waste out of the landfill.
What are your ideas on ways to Keep It Out of the Landfill?
Keep It Out of the Landfill 
Lenore,
Your column in today’s NH summed precisely summed up my recent concerns about the Nye Rd. Recycle center closing. I inquired with the P’ville Twp trustees but they said the drop off centers are very unpopular when placed in residential areas. Home owners complain about the noise and too many unwelcome critters (skunks, racoons).
I am on the board of our condo association and we have not had much interest from anyone regarding recycling. I am now visiting the recycle center at the Painesville Twp Service Center at 558 Fairport Nursery Rd. I have promoted recycling and other environmental concerns at my church but, again, not much interest. I really hope there are others that feel the way that you and I do about caring for God’s creation.
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Brian, thanks for the comment.
You’re right about the lack of interest in recycling at a collective level. That’s a subject I want at some point to explore in depth. I hope you’ll follow my blog and watch for more on the subject, and add your comments when I do get more written. It’s reassuring to know that at least some of us care about our beautiful world!
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Lenore,
I am responding to your article in The News Herald, on Sunday January 13th, “Recycling drop-off sites closed – but what if I don’t have curbside recycling?”
I work for Major Waste Disposal Services in Lake County. We offer curbside recycling in the surrounding townships (Painesville, Concord, Leroy, and we would love to eventually move to Madison and Perry).
Apartment complexes are most likely to use a recycling container, like a 4yard. Most complexes sign up for such containers if they get quite a few residents requesting it. We do realize cost plays a big role when adding an additional service. Therefore, we give such incentives as reducing the cost of trash pick-up, while going to a smaller container, when adding an additional container for recycling. If an apartment complex gets a container for recycling they are hopefully producing less trash for the landfill and would need a smaller trash container.
We also pick up in many condominiums as well. Again, many of the residents are requesting to their associations that they have the option to receive recycling. That being said, if the association does not want to pay for recycling, along with the trash they are already providing, we bill the customer separately, as little as $5 per month!
It is understood that some families do not want to or can’t afford to pay for recycling, what are some incentives that can be done for them? We wish we could weigh trash vs. recycling and reduce their trash costs if they are recycling more as well, however, we do not have the equipment to do so.
We are happy to help out any way we can! We would love to hear new ideas for single-family housing, apartments, and condominiums!
Thank you!
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Good morning, Lenore. On my drive to work I was thinking about a new bumper sticker for my 20 year old car, “Keep It Out of the Landfill.” On a whim I looked up the phrase to see what kind of images might compliment the phrase for my sticker. That is when I happened upon your blog. So happy to see likeminded people with the same mission posting online! It’s a tough battle for sure… our society does not yet embrace the zero waste mission as a whole and it’s often like swimming against the tide. I’m faced with challenging my own habits on a daily basis. But we all have a responsibility to take care of our planet. And as Americans, we create an unequal amount of waste. We all need to take steps to reduce, reuse, and recycle. So thank you for your blog! Back to the sticker… I was thinking about making up a few hundred and selling them so that the message can be spread a little farther than just my car. But first, since you’re already using the phrase, I wanted to check to see if you’re selling stickers. And if you’re not, would you mind if I did? Or would you like to create and sell them together? Please feel free to email me directly either way. Thanks!
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