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useful tips on waste management --
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
There are three
important steps to follow to minimize the amount of materials that end up as trash in
landfills:
- Reduce - Take
the time to purchase products that are packaged responsibly with a minimum of waste.
- Reuse - Find
ways to give new life to things that might otherwise end up in the trash. Use the database
below to learn how to reuse common household items.
- Recycle -
Whenever possible, purchase products that are made from recycled materials. Sort your
recyclables and take them to a local recycling center regularly.
To seek cost savings
and environmental excellence by preventing pollution and purchasing environmentally
preferable products (bio-based, recycled, energy and water efficient), take the following
steps:
- Build A
Trim-Your-Office-Waste Team. To have environmentally sustainable office operations,
you need commitment from all members of your staff.
- Develop A Plan.
Using the brainstormed ideas, the Trim Team can develop a plan.
- Ponder Your Purchasing
Practices. Your budget is what you buy. Analyzing your purchasing practices
provides an opportunity for saving money. Determining that some purchases are
unnecessary or are available at no cost provides a cost savings that can be applied to
required purchases, such as higher priced products with recycled content.
- Wonder About Your
Waste Stream. To achieve less waste, investigate the possibilities of reducing,
reusing, and recycling. Start by analyzing the waste in your office, such as what is in
the trash cans.
- Implement Your
Ideas. With your analysis in hand, the Trim Team can now begin to implement the
ideas that resulted. Make a list of the ideas. Some of these ideas might
require a formal analysis to determine whether they are feasible.
For more on these, visit
GreenGuide.
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Recycyling in your Garden
After
learning the three Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle, it is time to know the fourth R:
rot!
When the three Rs join the fourth R in the outdoors, the result saves tons of waste from
the landfill, saves you money, and saves the environment. Here is a comprehensive
program of easy, fun and effective method to reuse your yard and kitchen waste and reduce
the amount that would otherwise end up in the garbage.
Composting
Composting can be
practiced in most backyards in a homemade or manufactured composting bin, or simply an
open pile. Even if you don't have a yard, you can still compost leftover fruit and
vegetable scraps from your kitchen with a small worm bin.
Remember
the Five Components of Successful Composting
Nitrogen
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Green
materials such as grass clippings and landscape trimmings are ideal sources of nitrogen
for composting. Vegetable and fruit trimmings and peels can also provide nitrogen. To
reduce the potential for pests or odors, it is best to avoid meat or dairy scraps and bury
any food scraps deep within the compost pile. |
Carbon
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Brown
(dry) yard and garden material such as dry leaves, twigs, or hay can provide the carbon
balance for a compost pile. Chop or shred large pieces to 12 inches or shorter
(thick, woody branches should be chipped, ground-up, or left out). Untreated wood
chips and sawdust are a powerful carbon source which may be useful if the pile contains
excess nitrogen. |
Water
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One of
the most common mistakes in composting is letting the pile get too dry. Your compost pile
should be moist as a wrung-out sponge. |
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A
moisture content of 40 to 60 percent is preferable. To test for adequate moisture, reach
into your compost pile and grab a handful of material and squeeze it; if a few drops of
water come out, it's probably got enough moisture, if it doesn't, add water. |
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When you
water, it is best to put a hose into the pile so that you aren't just wetting the top. You
can also water as you are turning the pile.
During dry weather, you may have to add water regularly. During wet weather, you may
need to cover your pile. |
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A
properly constructed compost pile will drain excess water and not become soggy. |
Air
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The
bacteria and fungus that are in your compost pile need oxygen to live and work. |
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If your
pile is too dense or becomes too wet, the air supply to the inside is cut off and the
beneficial organisms die. Decomposition will slow and an offensive odor may arise. |
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To avoid
this and speed the process, turn and fluff the pile with a pitchfork often, perhaps
weekly. You can also turn the pile by just re-piling it into a new pile; many composting
bins make this easy to do by coming apart so you can easily re-pile the old pile back into
the bin. |
Size
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Ideally,
the compost pile should be at least three feet wide by three feet deep by three feet tall
(one cubic yard). |
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This
size provides enough food and insulation to keep the organisms warm and happy and working
hard. However, piles can be larger or smaller and work just fine if managed well. |
In your Garden - Use
as a top dressing alone or with other mulching or natural fertilizer material.
In your Lawn - Sprinkle sifted compost over lawn before watering or rainfall. Also helps
suppress lawn diseases.
For your Houseplants - Steep a couple of tablespoons in a quart of hot water and use as a
mild fertilizer (compost tea). Spread compost at the base of plants as a mulch.
When potting plants, replace 1/8 to 1/4 of the potting soil with compost.
For more
on recycling in your garden, visit
Recyclemore.
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