Before moving to rural GA a few years ago, we lived in Upstate NY and had become pretty accustomed the dos and don'ts of recycling and such in our community. The Village where we lived had some fairly strict policies, including using clear or white trash bags so that the collectors could see if recyclables had been thrown out instead of being put in the recycling bin. If something that could be recycled, ie.: a plastic milk jug, had been thrown away, they would leave a note behind-as well as your garbage.
Trust me, it only took once to learn your lesson.
After making our move South, I discovered that there wasn't any curbside recycling pickup- no big deal, right? But, in my further attempts to drop off my recycling to the proper location, I was stunned to learn that there wasn't one. There wasn't anywhere in the county where I could bring plastics, glass, paper, or tin. Metal, and cardboard, sure, but really, how much metal are you recycling these days? I was devastated. So I began to think outside the box. I was attending Grad school an hour away and brought any items I had saved during the week to a drop off location there. And when visiting my sister two hours away, I would haul our milk jugs and wine bottles to the drop off location there.
After my self pity party, I realized that there were other ways that I could make a difference too. And here is a list of some of the things I began doing to live more green in an un-green community.
1. I stopped taking plastic bags at the grocery store and always bring my own. (This takes a while to become a habit, but if you check out this video- it will help you to remember!).
2. I started buying in bulk, so as to reduce the amount of packaging waste. (You'll often find this to be cheaper too).
3. I started composting on a regular basis. We have a garden. Gardens love compost. Composting is easy and requires very little work from me. Perfect! Visit this site to learn how to compost.
4. I stopped and thought about my purchases before spending doe on unnecessary items. I mean really, how many plastic squirt guns and junk toys does one boy need?
5. I started making phone calls to all of the companies sending me junk mail and got off their mailing lists! You can also call you utility companies and anyone else you have monthly billing with and have them send you your bill online.
These are just a few of the things that I started doing when I couldn't do much else. So, even if you live somewhere where recycling isn't an option, there are so many other things you can do to make a difference!
Trust me, it only took once to learn your lesson.
After making our move South, I discovered that there wasn't any curbside recycling pickup- no big deal, right? But, in my further attempts to drop off my recycling to the proper location, I was stunned to learn that there wasn't one. There wasn't anywhere in the county where I could bring plastics, glass, paper, or tin. Metal, and cardboard, sure, but really, how much metal are you recycling these days? I was devastated. So I began to think outside the box. I was attending Grad school an hour away and brought any items I had saved during the week to a drop off location there. And when visiting my sister two hours away, I would haul our milk jugs and wine bottles to the drop off location there.
After my self pity party, I realized that there were other ways that I could make a difference too. And here is a list of some of the things I began doing to live more green in an un-green community.
1. I stopped taking plastic bags at the grocery store and always bring my own. (This takes a while to become a habit, but if you check out this video- it will help you to remember!).
2. I started buying in bulk, so as to reduce the amount of packaging waste. (You'll often find this to be cheaper too).
3. I started composting on a regular basis. We have a garden. Gardens love compost. Composting is easy and requires very little work from me. Perfect! Visit this site to learn how to compost.
4. I stopped and thought about my purchases before spending doe on unnecessary items. I mean really, how many plastic squirt guns and junk toys does one boy need?
5. I started making phone calls to all of the companies sending me junk mail and got off their mailing lists! You can also call you utility companies and anyone else you have monthly billing with and have them send you your bill online.
These are just a few of the things that I started doing when I couldn't do much else. So, even if you live somewhere where recycling isn't an option, there are so many other things you can do to make a difference!
2 comments:
Another thing I have found helpful living in a "recycling retarded town"
is to use things for other purposes. My kids love inventing things out of 2 liter bottles.
That is great too. Too often things are just thrown away that could really be used for an alternative purpose. Thanks Liz!
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