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Global Warming....What Can You Do?
Today I made a decision. There are so many issues confronting us today, from political issues, to health issues, to economic issues, to environmental issues….it’s easy to become overwhelmed and do nothing. Sometimes I feel that there are so many...
Rebuilding and Restoring in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Rebuilding and Restoring in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Gulf Water Clean-Up and Infrastructure Rebuilds Face the Water
Industry Moving Forward
By Ann-Marie Fleming, www.Water-Stocks.com September 2005
As the clean up and...
Solar residential outdoor lighting is becoming the product of choice for millions of consumers
Residential outdoor lighting is a billion dollar a year industry
in the United States. It is getting so popular, there is now a
corporation that franchises individual businesses dealing only
in exterior landscape lighting design, supply, and...
Understanding an Ecosystem
No one lives in a vacuum, we might say, and the same is true of
nature. Just as people need other people to get connected and
learn to survive, so do other natural elements in the universe
and on planet Earth. While it may be difficult for most...
Wild Boar - Good for environment?
Environmental Benefits of Wild Boar in California
Let's face it: Wild pigs all over the world have a bad
reputation not only for being mean but also for the considerable
damage they can afflict on protected cash crops and the land...
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Efficiency Equals Reduction
Efficiency Equals Reduction
(400 words)
Imagine that if at the grocery store the person bagging your purchases left empty, unused spaces in each bag causing you to carry 10 instead of 5 bags out to your car then into your home. You would be investing some extra time, energy and space when it was unnecessary. Now transfer that thought to the waste and recycling industry. Instead of filling a trash bag or bin with large empty spaces, we can all do some simple acts to help keep transportation costs down while reducing fossil fuel consumption and saving ourselves some time and money.
The flattening of boxes greatly increases space efficiency in a bin. This does not just apply to cardboard boxes, but also includes any paperboard (cereal or pet food) ones as well. Crushing cans before recycling is much more easily done if it is possible to remove both the top and bottom lids first. Foil products are easily flattened by hand.
Periodically crush your garbage bag down to its true size – you will find that it does not need to be placed on the curb as often. Fewer trips to the dump means less fossil fuel consumed and reduced curbside idling – idling is known to be terribly inefficient and more polluting than vehicles on the move. Garbage collection fees are more easily maintained by the company due to reduced
costs per bag, and some companies even offer a discount for those who produce less waste. Also worth noting is that the household will go through fewer plastic garbage bags.
Some kitchen waste disposal units tend to put unnecessary pressure on overtaxed sewage plants. A much better option is to practice composting or vermiculture methods instead. Composting organic waste reduces household trash by approximately 30%. Go one step further by reusing various plastic bags to isolate smelly meat, bones and pet waste. By controlling odors in the garbage, the bag will not have to be put out on the curb as often.
So, imagine that if your waste and recycling was now half the size that it typically was before. That means in theory the waste pickup service would decrease costs by 50%, the landfill would be receiving half of what it used to, fewer trips to the recycling depot, less pollution…
Well you get the picture. It is easy to make a difference and we can all start at home. Right where we are.
About the Author
-- Written by Dave and Lillian Brummet based on the concept of their book, Trash Talk. The book offers useful solutions for the individual to reduce waste and better manage resources. A guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment. (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)
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