Upping our efforts . . .

[fidgiegirl]

I am excited to start upping our efforts in recycling and composting. We've become a bit lazy with the remodel of the house with all the chaos, and also after two years of the compost bin being raided by squirrels in winter and knowing we would be moving over the winter, we haven't composted since about October.

We are going to get our bin from the rental house tomorrow, and any unfinished compost contained therein. So we can start with the regular backyard stuff again.

But also, in exciting news, our neighborhood will now start to have an organics pick-up. We can pay $40 a year to participate. We can drop off meat/dairy, non-recyclable paper, and compostable packaging or other items that can't really go in the backyard bin. I am not sure why but the nerd in me finds this really exciting. Sometimes we throw out things just because we don't have room in the compost bin, especially paper items. If we participate in the drop-off, we can compost EVERYTHING that's compostable.

We have also discovered that we can bring #5 plastics to Whole Foods (just up the street) for recycling there. Great news. Our curbside pickup does not collect #5, and I eat a lot of yogurt - mostly in quart tubs, but lately in more single-serve (Chobani). Have researched making my own yogurt, but not there quite yet. Hopefully soon!

I was also realizing that I don't usually recycle the tin lids of the yogurt containers. Wonder why not? I believe they are recyclable. I also read that the bottle caps are recyclable (the metal pop top kind) but DH and do not put them in the recycling. It's little things like that that we could do better.

I am also contemplating an ongoing box of scrap metal. Some scrap metal items go in the trash because they are just so small, if we set them out for the scrappers, they'd never spot them to pick them up. But if we had a box going, and could set that out every few months, it would be worth everyone's while. They need a ton in some cases to get any money.

What other ways could we up the ante on recycling? I haven't addressed any "reduce" or "reuse" solutions here, but we are always working on that, too.

[Rosemary]

I am an avid recycler. We used to have to take all our plastics to the Coon Rapids facility, but thankfully our local company now takes them. We are directed to leave bottle caps on the bottles, which is a change in the past year; in the past, we were supposed to discard them or save them for Aveda. We still take scrap metal to that facility; they also collect stryrofoam - the only place I've seen that does that.

You might be aware of this resource that lists many items that can be recycled: http://www.recyclemoreminnesota.org/what/

I would love to have organics waste collection in our neighborhood. I'm doing my part to bring it here, but it's a long road.
Meanwhile, I am also getting back to composting kitchen scraps after some time off to let the rodent population in our yard dwindle. We have 4 compost bins and I will be filling them all shortly with yard waste from spring cleanup. Yesterday I ordered a yard waste bin to make it easier to compost larger branches. In the past we had loaded up the car with branches, but it's a mess and a hassle, and this convenience is worth the cost to me.

If you need any help on making yogurt, let me know - it's very easy, and saves a fair amount of money. One quart of milk makes one quart of yogurt, so a quart of organic yogurt costs about $1.50. I prefer the Greek yogurt as a starter - it makes a thicker yogurt with a different flavor, seems to have a different culture blend - but any plain yogurt works, and once started, you can 'chain start' the yogurt for many batches before buying a new container.

A rainbarrel is a great way to 'recycle' rainwater! There is a spring sale in Ramsey County - let me know if you need info.

[jania]

I'm with you on the yogurt containers. I know it is easy to make your own, I just haven't done it. All I need is a jar, milk and starter and maybe a small cooler to keep the temperature of the mixture just right...it's too easy. Ok, I think I've convinced myself again.

Rosemary, please share your yogurt making process.

I compost everything I can and I think the trick is to make it easy and convenient. I also really try to pay attention when I buy things, looking at the amount of packaging but sometimes there doesn't seem to be much choice. One small effort I make is to keep my movie theatre cup in the car at all times (you buy one each year and then get your drink for $1.00) and use it if I stop in a convenience mart for a fountain drink, instead of using yet another plastic cup.

[leslieann]

Trying to figure out what to do with an ancient printer and two old laptops. Our local waste program landfills them. Apparently there is a local business that will recycle them...but this is not obvious.

I have pulled out the compost container and moved the bin to what I hope will be its FINAL resting place. We've had two open bins, mostly for yard waste but also kitchen stuff. I bought a closed composter last summer because I am a bit worried about enhancing the rodent population. So my plan is to put food wastes in the composter but continue to use the open bins for yard waste. That has worked pretty well: we dump into one each season, and shovel out of the other.

I have a LONG way to go, though. Didn't compost all winter and boy, the garbage can stink when you put food wastes in there. Even when you empty it regularly. I struggle with the composting because I can't find an appropriate kitchen container OR because I want the food emptied out almost as soon as it goes in. So the problem lies in my reaction. I'm working on it!!

[fidgiegirl]

Thanks for all the new ideas, Rosemary. I hadn't known about the Recycle More MN site. Very nice. I like the close the loop stuff - I am a bit of a skeptic, admittedly, after as a teenager working in a small town grocery store, observing that all the plastic bags the community had brought in to recycle always ended up in the dumpster. Despite this one negative first-hand experience, though, I try to maintain a hopeful outlook. It's hard when you've ever seen Wall-E.

Great to know about the styrofoam. We threw out so much when we got the new appliances It was hard to do.

I would be interested in your yogurt process, too. In my research it seemed easy, but like something that would need to be practiced a few times to get the hang of it. You are so good at making things practical that I bet you have a good system.

And don't feel bad that composting is taking a while to take root. In my research/reading about composting, I once read that we are at the point right now with composting that recycling was at in the 80s. I also read that there are not a lot of commercial facilities that can take large volumes of compostables right now, and that the procedure for handling huge volumes (from, say, a curbside colleciton program) has not been perfected. And Eureka (my local hauler) says that even if systems WERE in place, it'd still be ideal for people to max out their backyard capacities first, to save on fuel for hauling and to return the nutrients to the soil.

[Zoebird]

nice! we are moving toward zero-waste home. once we get the composting online at our place, we'll be well sorted for it.

oh, and we learned that the microorganisms that the bokashi bucket uses are also in our normal home fermentation processes, so we can create our own starter, ferment it onto/into some newspaper, and then start our bokashi process. This will be a for our heavy scraps (bones, avocado skins, etc) that are not good for aerobic composting.

Then, after it ferments (about 14 days after the bucket is full and you keep it closed that long), then it can be added to aerobic compost to go through toward being regular soil.

I think that we will need 4 large buckets for bokashi plus then 1 or two aerobic compost bins.

We currently recycle pretty much everything, but here's where I want to improve:

1. always having grocery bags in the car, as well as a couple of produce bags;

2. getting large jars to get our meats in -- this is currently the only stuff we get wrapped in plastic, plus our frozen berries and veggies.

3. getting flossing tools in lieu of floss, decluttering product from our home such as vinegar to wash hair, dishes, and clothes, as well as home; baking soda and stevia for tooth powder; baking soda/water/lavender for deodorant; coconut oil for lotion, mouth wash; a bit of had soap bars for hand washing -- which will decrease us down to buying vinegar, baking soda, and stevia in bulk (the latter two have card board packaging which can be composted).

And using the large vinegar jugs (as we are currently not refilling) as storage for our emergency water supply (5 liter containers, and we need 3 each -- for a total of 9). We currently have 1 container.

I would like to do humanure composting, but i think we are not ready for that yet. LOL

[Zoebird]

Also, i think these composting facilities would be great for making power -- which is what they do in germany. . . as far as I understand. They heat homes with the methane.

[fidgiegirl]

getting flossing tools in lieu of floss

Floss has been a real thorn in my side for a long time. What are these flossing tools of which you speak?

Compost bin is set up again! Yeah! Not willing to hook up the hose yet, so it isn't at the correct dampness, but it can sit there for a few weeks until we can soak it. No harm done.

I'll have to check out bokashi!!

I'm kind of interested in worm composting, but not sure if I can convince DH. The nice thing is now that we're in the bigger house, they could live in the basement. And The Urban Homestead has a nice, inexpensive, intelligent design (at least to this novice's knowledge . . . )

Oh yeah, and then there's the dog poo . . . I had that other thread about that. The responses were mixed - not sure what to think!!!

[Zoebird]

I think that dog poop can be composted same as humanure -- which is usually hot compost but people have had success doing it as aerobic, cool compost (vermiculture). I would do it, personally, though lots of people are concerned about microorganisms of course.

in lieu of floss, you'll look for a gum stimulator. it functions in a way very similar to floss, and so it's not necessary to floss. that being said, you can get compostable floss if you look for it.

[fidgiegirl]

I just printed out some new spots to recycle items we're currently trashing: cereal bags, shrink wrap from packages (and from our move), bottle caps (thanks for the tip, Rosemary), spent linens/clothing/pillows/shoes. I will set up boxes or bags for these items and we can drop them at the appropriate locations periodically. Slowly but surely . . .