Zero Waste

[JanetMarie]

Recycled my diet root beer can this afternoon.

I'm noticing a trend with my trash. I generally wash and re-use gallon size ziploc bags that haven't had raw meat in them. But, I've gone through two in two days and I don't like it! I rarely wash the sandwich sized bags though so I'm making a switch. I've been intending to for awhile now - but decided to go ahead and bite the bullet.

Amazon.com: Reusable Gallon Food Storage Bags - Anpro Reusable Freezer Bags Extra Thick & Leakproof, 1 Gallon Bags for Marinate Meats, Sandwich, Snack, 7 Pack: Kitchen & Dining

Amazon.com: Reusable Silicone Food Storage Bags & Silicone Stretch Lids, Food Grade Silicone Bags and Covers, Airtight Seal Food Preservation Bags for Vegetable, Lunch, BPA Free, Freezer & Dishwasher Safe: Kitchen & Dining

These are on their way to my house!!

I purchased some like this recently from Big Lots. They're made by a different company, Joie. Mostly to use for vegetables. Really like them.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I thought mine were to be delivered today. Guess I need to go check and see if they came in the mail today. I'm really looking forward to them.

 

[JanetMarie]

That makes no sense at all!

My DH's girlfriend once flushed a blouse - OMG! We found several weird things that she'd "disposed" of when we had the tanks pumped.....

Proof that humans are not okay.

 

[JanetMarie]

Tarps are bad, just bad. I have a huge mess to clean up now, because we covered some old barn boards with a huge tarp, and now it has started to deteriorate with small strings and pieces all around that area. Uggh, what a mess! I'm determined to pick up every scrap of it in the spring. Not looking forward to it, but it's criminal not to.

 

[JanetMarie]

Caution on using many paper towels:

Chemicals in Paper Towels: Are There Nontoxic Alternatives? | Nontoxic

As users of so many paper products, it’s worth asking, are chemicals found in these products? And if so, are there nontoxic alternatives? Find out here.

www.nontoxicliving.tips

 

[Mini Horses]

Dawn dish liquid -- dissolves grease. Things like bacon grease is kept for seasoning but, the pans or dishes may have a light covering that dawn clears. Never had any issues into any house septic and there's been a few. I almost never but paper towels but, if used they can be burned. I don't buy to save money. Have plenty of fabric towels, rags, etc.

Doesn't everyone have farm and town clothes???? Don't blow me away! I know you do. I don't buy those ragged jeans for big bucks, I make my own. Wash after one wear? Really??? Only if I've fallen in fresh manure....or changed the tractor oil and wiped my hands on them. . Normally a couple days is good, especially in winter if covered with Carharts.

Yes, wash out those bag for reuse. My biggest waste are the feed bags. I rarely get paper ones and those plastic ones become trash bags or recycled. A lot of them to deal! Just no mill anymore to get paper ones.

Food -- nothing here that isn't eaten by me and the critters! Bones, DD has 2 dogs.

I have a lot of hay twine -- it gets used! Eventually burned as left over shreds. It holds everything together, down, up, on....

 

[flowerbug]

Ok - shame on DH - but he put the trash out before I got to sort it. (ya'll know I really didn't want to sort it - yuck!) We started that bag on Monday morning. It's a regular tall kitchen can that holds a 13 gallon trash bag. It was only about 3/4 filled over 3 days and that wasn't even smushed down.

I know my two biggest problems are paper plates and paper towels. I don't use paper plates very often and we don't use them for eating off of every day. What I generally use them for is messy/greasy stuff. We have a septic system and grease build-up would be the kiss of death so I'm totally adamant about not washing dirty greasy plates and letting the grease get into the system. I won't even wash a dirty skillet until I use paper towels to wipe up all the grease. There was a plastic pull-top off of a carton of cream that was tossed but that was all the plastic. No glass, no aluminum and no recyclable plastic gets tossed - it gets hauled to the recycle center. Food scraps to critters...junk mail used as a fire starter.

Paper towels are probably my biggest challenge. I wash my hands a LOT and I hate the idea of using a cloth towel over and over. I think that's icky. I don't even keep hand towels in my bathrooms. I use paper towels there also.

I guess our efforts at other areas kinda balances out the paper towels we use.

That's my trash story - and I'm sticking to it!

i just use my shirt.

 

[baymule]

Yes I have town clothes and farm clothes. We go to Vanity Fair Outlet store for jeans, I never pay over $10 for jeans. Once we walked in and there was a rack of flannel lined jeans for $8!! We went because I am a preferred customer and they sent me a text for 20 % off, so my jeans only cost me $6.40 I got 3 pair. They are Cabellas jeans and cost $50 regular price.

 

[flowerbug]

i've been enjoying reading the past few weeks about the various efforts to turn plastic into either recyclable plastics or to even turn them into fuel just in case it can't be used any other way.

what bugs me about a lot of plastics to begin with is that they add colors and other things to the plastic which make it harder to recycle. instead they could use clear plastic and add food safe or biodegradeable color to the product inside the bottle...

 

[JanetMarie]

I'm going to try these. 100% biodegradable packaging and affordable!

Laundry Detergent Eco Sheets - 60 Loads

Fresh Scent: A beautiful fragrance with fresh floral notes that will keep you smelling great. Fragrance Free: Perfect for anyone who may be sensitive to fragrances.

www.earthbreeze.com