Let's Talk Garbage

generally speaking, there is still much to be desired in the way people manage their thrash or garbage. i, including my family, for one has yet to achieve a zero garbage level -- no thrash for the garbage man to collect regularly. while composting is an ideal way of recycling biodegradable waste, doing that is easier said than done. probably, segregating garbage -- that's the level we, in my household, have done perfectly so far and we're cashing in on the recyclable items that go to the junk shop -- is easier to do. but that leaves the wet kitchen wastes to the garbage bag. also, the non-recyclable and non-biodegradable waste. it really takes extra effort and a modest investment -- for facilities, whether improvised or bought from the hardware -- to achieve total zero waste management. but, i hope, with the first step, the other stages will follow.

Hey, you got a new avatar..:) My property is a little over half an acre, so I have the room to compost. I also recycle, so my garbage is only one bag a week.. It is good that you can recycle though, that does cut down the bulk. As for the smell? All I can say is use a smaller can and throw it away in the dumpster I assume your complex has..Yeah it will be more work, but less smell..

i live in a town house complex and we are not allowed to compost, however, the city has handed out a 'green' box for those who dont compost and this bin is collected each week with your garbage and is for food scraps and what not. also, in the city i live in, we are only allowed one bag of garbage but allowed as much recycling as we want.

Every week there is a garbage collector who comes to the village to collect all the trash . . In my case, I segregate the "real" trash from the trash that can be recycled or sold . . Happy mylotting.

Hi AmbiePam, I can understand how difficult it must be to dispose garbage when you live in an apartment. I faced this problem for a few years while we were living in an apartment. But now I live in a house with garden and I make my own compost.There is no garbage at all.All the papers and other dry stuff is burnt .I have a pit for this purpose and another for making compost with all the kitchen waste,dry leaves etc;...

well, i dont really compost... . i just put the garbage or trash in a garbage or trash containers and let the garbage truck collects it....

My son takes out the trash whenever it gets full. In the winter time I was just sticking it out on the sun porch till the morning time, but with the weather warming up I can't do that anymore. If I did that then I would have ants all over the sun porch by morning.

there is a certain law that tells our people to separate garbage, from the ones that could be recycled like plastic bottles and containers, plastic wrappers and bags, etc. from the ones that could be compost. those that could be recycled are being collected by the waste management group in the community. i just hate those garbage collectors that they never take time to collect our garbage. they will just stop for a minute and go. most of the people here, in this part of this city complains about the collection but the government seems to be blind and never hears a word.

Hey Amber! Hi Sis! I have these stupid "things" in the front of my apartment that look like outdoor "toilets"! I wish my camera was working so that I could show you! One is supposed to be for recycling and the other 3 for regular garbage that is picked up everyday by the "maintanence men" that work here! Yeah right! We don't do composting here! We are just lucky if the garbage is picked up every other day if we are lucky! In the Summertime we have wild animals like raccoons and skunks that know how to open the lids of the garbage pails and if they do get into to them over the weekends leave a major mess! They really need a better system here, but they are just too cheap!lol

I have found an easy way to handle leftover garbage, especially in the summer. I just keep a gallon-sized freezer bag in the freezer, and use it to store it until trash day. I used to place it in the dumpster in the morning on trash day, having visions of the dumpster being filled with ants to be taken away (I swear we live on an ant hill). Didn't get rid of the ants, so now I just toss it in around noon, usually the pick-up is mid-afternoon. Of course, if I get unexpected (and unwanted) company who expect to be fed, I can always make as show of pulling the bag out and calling it my 'soup starter'.

I've never composted before. Don't really know much about it to tell you the truth. I try to take out the trash every few days or so. I don't make much of a mess, because I like to reuse most of my scrap as much as possible. I've got a stack of printer paper on my desk, mostly used sketch paper or note taking.

A lot says that there's a money behind these trashes or garbage. Actually some poor people that cannot find a regular job because poverty used to pick up garbage choose what useful and exchange it to money. Their families needs food to ease their hunger of course to live. Even they just picked up garbage it means a lot to them rather than doing bad things, like snatching, kidnap for ransom, holdup and etc...Picking up garbage is way of their living and I was just hoping that this marginalize or poor people that definitely prioritize by our government but somehow it doesn't.

This is the first year I've started a compost pile. Yeah, it stinks, but it's far enough away from the house that it's not too bad. I live out in the country and have to haul my trash in to town. When I have a little, I take it to my Mom's (she lives in town), when I have a lot, like after pruning trees/bushes, etc., I have to run to the dump which is about 30 miles away. It's really a pain. The only recycling I do (besides the compost stuff) is aluminum cans and plastics. The county/city haven't really started a recycling program as yet. They're just talking... I don't get the newspaper, so my paper waste is minimal... Most of my waste is bottles and tin cans and there's nothing to be done with them, at this time, except take them to my Mom's/the dump.

I hate taking out the trash because it just smells horrible. It is a very unpleasant smell that would never like to smell. I think it would really suck to work at a waste Center. You will be getting the trash smells so much you probably get used to it but anyway it would still suck.

Dearest Ambie...you have brought up a topic, that I am really good at...TRASH TALKING! At any given time...I have 3 composts..on the GO! AND these composts are made out of re-cycled wooden pallets...so you know the size I am talking about! So basically I either compost it...or burn it..or re-use it! I buy very little in plastics..and they go to the Re-Cycle centre. I promise NOT to go on and on about this subject....but composting is such a huge part of my life...and it is so rewarding! Many of our large cities, including Vancouver, now are accepting compost and have set a plant up to turn it into beautiful black soil to use on all the parks...and for purchase by the General Public....and the gases from the composting are collected for fuel in City Vehicles! Whistler (home of a lot of the skiing events for the Olympics) has been doing this for four years....initially it was expensive to set up, but they have already re-couped the costs, and it is more effective than they dared dream! Take care...Cheers..and HUGZ!

Yes it may sound dirty to everybody but garbage is like a remains of us that needs to be well take care of. We always have garbage collector who collects garbage in every house in our subdivision and it usually happens every Tuesday and Saturday. And it has been stop lately and we have to walk a long way to dump our garbage in a dump site. About the garbage there are some people who roamed around our subdivision and looking for garbage. And if they say one they inspect it for plastics and other metals that they can actually sold it in a store craps. I'm okay with it as long they don't loiter the garbage and left it scattered in the area.

I like the idea of using odor control garbage bags. I have used them in the past but I haven't used them in a long time. I never see them where I shop for groceries. No, I don't compost. I take my trash out about once a week. We have to pay a garbage bill once a month where I live, which I think is a bunch of malarchy (not sure if that's spelled right)and the city issues us garbage cans. They're nice garbage cans because they're large and they really hold a lot. My garbage gets picked up on Wednesday Mornings and I have to take my garbage can to the end of the driveway every Tuesday. Kathy.

I don't mind taking out the trash either. What we use are just standard garbage bags. I take them to an area near my place after the bag is full. We also put the left-overs in the trash since they have nowhere else to go.

We have helpers here that is why we do not have problems about the garbage and also the collectors of garbage regularly roam around the city so it is not a real problem for us.

Make sure to take your garbage to the specified place for your area. Well, that's why plastic bins were invented (where to put the garbage). You will only do compost pit, if your trash is recyclable especially those fruit/food trashes. It will help the plants to grow healthy.