Trash Talk

It amazed me how much trash a family of four can produce on a weekly basis. We used to tote bags and bins out to the end of the driveway every week for the trash service guys to take away. Not any more.

Although I am deeply concerned about our environment, my main reason for discontinuing our trash removal service was economics. I was looking for ways to trim our budget. Trash removal is not a major expense, at least not in my area, but it was an expense none the less. It averages about $15.00 per month. I felt that, with a little creativity, we could take care of your own trash and save a little bit of money.

My first goal was to cut down on the amount of stuff we throw away. Now I recycle egg cartons, cereal boxes, cans, and aluminum containers. I wash them out and let the girls make craft projects with them. I also take newspapers, glass containers and plastic bottles to the local recycling center. These items alone made a considerable difference in the amount of trash we accumulated. But I wasn't content to stop there.

I have a very large vegetable garden in the summer. Right by the garden site is an old foundation from an out building or something when my farm was a full operating farm. The foundation is three-sided and open on the side that faces the garden. The foundation comes up about three feet--a perfect compost bin! Now I save kitchen scraps like potato peelings, apple cores, egg shells, lettuce and so on to add to the compost heap. Remember that meat and bones will attract unwanted animals, so I never throw them on the compost pile.

So what do I do with meat and bones scraps? I keep a slop dish in the kitchen and I fill it with food scraps for the dogs. I know the vet recommends feeding the dogs only a consistent diet of dog food, but this helps me get rid of the scraps, cuts down on our dog food costs (and with two BIG dogs, this can get quite high), and the dogs love it.

My husband brought home a burning barrel for the rest of our trash. We put it behind the garage so it is out of sight yet easy to get too. We live out in the country with no neighbors (at least not close by) so we didn't have to content with city ordinances or complaining neighbors. Now I have a separate trash bin for burnable things

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