Decreasing waste is wonderful in theory, but if you don’t
have a system in place to deal with waste, it becomes very complicated. So what
is waste? Waste is stuff you can’t reuse, isn’t good enough to donate somewhere
for someone else to use and is likely to end up in the landfill. When I made my
most recent stop at the Homestead ,
I was enthused about recycling, composting and minimizing what would go to the
landfill. To my dismay, my systems were no longer in place.
My compost heap was fully composted and ready to relocate to
the garden. I also wanted to set up a new system of 2 compost bins, one to fill
and one to age. So began the deconstruction of the compost heap. The old log
sides were removed, but before we could haul the composted soil to the garden,
the waist high weeds had to be raked down and moved to a spot where they could
be added to the new compost bin. We did not have enough time to complete this
project while we were there, so it will be completed on our next visit. Sadly,
our compostables went into the trash.
My burn barrel was buried and broken by an overenthusiastic
tractor which seemed to think it was no longer of any use. Trash was carted to a
shared dumpster, to be taken to the landfill. I do have another burn barrel, but I
need the lid cut off, so I can use it. It is an old, empty industrial 55 gallon
steel drum.
In our area we have no full service (all metals, glass and
plastics) recycling center, so other than aluminum cans, these items go to the
landfill. I did repurpose quite a few plastic items, and cleaned out my
cabinets to find a couple bags of containers I could take to the local thrift
store.
Junk mail, strangely, is not a problem at the Homestead .
As we heat with wood, we need something to start the fire with. The envelopes
and paper from the junk mail work just as well as newspapers. I also stuff
toilet paper rolls and small cardboard boxes with dryer lint (yes, I do
sometimes use the dryer instead of the clothesline) for this purpose. Most of
the glossy papers get thrown in the trash, though, because they don’t burn as
well.
It doesn’t sound like much to clean out the compost bin and
rebuild it, and to cut the top off a steel drum, but for us it is a bit of a
project. The compost has sat for so long it has become an ideal garden spot.
Since I prefer this spot for the compost bin, we have to dig the compost out
and relocate it. With shovels. Safety concerns demand that we have the proper
tool and coordination to cut the top off the steel drum. This will entail
enlisting help. Hopefully next time we stop home, we’ll get our systems back in
place and keep the Homestead
“green”.
Until then, we’ll work on improving our waste generation and
disposal in the tiny trailer.
Also see:
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| Decreasing Waste |
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