New places - new ways

My biggest challenge since moving to a small and very 'primitively' green community has been learning new ways to recycle our garbage in our effort to be green.

Although our family's garbage has not been too perfect up until now, we have taken many steps to do the BEST we can considering our area's 'lack of' facilities.

We purchased a composting bin. I have been separating my garbage (wet & dry or blue & green) since my late teens/early 20's. To mix the trash with the compostable items made me feel like I was committing a crime so I just 'had' to do something! The compost bin was relatively inexpensive (around $65) and is placed just outside our garage door (in the back yard). Items that can be placed in the bin are:

• YARD WASTE: leaves, dry grass, weeds, garden plants, soft plant stems
• KITCHEN WASTE: fruit & vegetable matter, egg shells (crushed), tea bags, coffee grounds & filters.

Items that 'used' to go into our 'blue' bags (or 'dry' garbage) were items like cans, cardboard, paper, glass, etc. Since the facilities are not there, I've had to figure out ways to be the most efficient. After some research, lots of talking people in the community and driving around to different facilities (bottle exchanges, the dump, big community recycle bins, etc) to learn what could be recycled and where - we've found a little bottle exchange facility right near our house that recycles all that can be recycled. At least, all that can be recycled in our area and all we have to do is separate and physically take to this facility.

I now have designated containers for
1. compost (that goes in our compost bin)
2. paper & cardboard (that goes to the bottle exchange facilities)
3. tin, glass, plastic bottles (except for milk jugs), juice boxes, pop cans - anything that you can drink - except the milk jugs (that goes to the bottle exchange facilities)
4. everything else (that goes in our weekly trash)

I feel happy & content that we are doing our part for the environment and that Noah is learning to 'live green'. Every now and then, I have to take some 'mis-placed' trash from the 'everything else' container and place in the correct container - but eventually we will all remember 'what goes where'!

And so I now sleep with a clear conscience!