Reduce My Waste!

Reduce Waste!

Photo Credit: riversideca.gov

This week’s blog assignment for my Environmental Science class with Dr. Huff I am required to keep track of the total amount of waste created by my household. I accumulated the trash into the full size waste basket in my kitchen. My household includes me, my daughter Zoe and my son Jonah. Jonah has a girlfriend that spends a lot of time at our house. For the first three days of the experiment I will include her in the household size. After three days I weighed the trashed and it weighed 10lbs. Here is the deal – we do separate most recyclables, so in addition to the 10lb bag of trash we had a few bags full of empty Gatorade containers, empty water bottles and empty cans of soda.  These were Target bags or grocery size bags. In my defense I will point out the fact that I went grocery shopping so I had some things that were in the frig contributing to the weight of the trash. I had some mangos and cauliflower. Seems like a had a big heavy bag!

Photo Credit: fosteringidahoteens.files

On the second three days my trash weighed less than 7lbs. Like I said I didn’t have any food to through away. However after my research I learned that food can be put in the green waste can or in compost. I don’t have a compost but I am going to make a greater effort to separate my trash. A lot of the time I simply put can’s in the trash, and cans can go into the blue recycle container after a quick rinse out. We eat alot of soup and I have cans for my pet food. I worked the CURE event, which you can find details below, and learned the importance of keeping even large item trash separated. I need to sort through the garbage and keep trash that can be recycled – kept with the recycled. We really try to do the best we can!

Photo Credit: adland.tv

Take a look at that ball! Gees thats alot!
Every year, landfills across the world are packed with thousands of tons of unnecessary trash. Each person in the United States produces an average of 4 pounds of trash every day - wow 4 pounds! Seems like my house isn't doing too bad. Everyone can cut down on the amount of trash their family produces in a few simple ways that only take a little bit of thought and effort.

• Buy whole foods that don't come with packaging. Increasing the amount of fresh produce you eat is healthy for your family as well as the planet. In addition to produce, you can purchase cereal, grains, spices, dried beans and many other grocery items in the bulk section of natural food stores. It's an inexpensive way to stock your pantry, and you can keep it all fresh by storing it in canisters.
• Use reusable tote bags for your purchases every time you go to the store. If you still accumulate plastic bags here and there, many grocery stores have recycling bins for them.
• Buy household products such as laundry detergent, hand soap and cleaning sprays in bulk. By purchasing a few large containers of each product instead of many small containers, you can cut down on the amount that needs to be thrown out.
• Purchase products made of recycled or recyclable materials. These products not only reduce the amount of waste heading to the landfills, they also keep reusable materials in the economy, conserving precious resources.
• Use washable cleaning rags and cloth napkins rather than paper towels and paper napkins. You can make cleaning rags more convenient to use by placing two baskets under your kitchen sink-one for clean rags, and one for dirty rags.
• Check every single package for a "recyclable" symbol before throwing it out. You might be surprised at some of the things you can recycle these days.
• Make a compost pile in your yard for kitchen scraps instead of throwing them away. You'll have extremely rich fertilizer for your garden, at no cost. You can also add yard waste to your compost pile.
• Think before you toss-your trash may be another person's treasure. Online trading communities allow you to trade items of all kinds with other people in your community (see Resources below). You can also donate used goods to local charities.

The sad thing is that everything has become disposal. And it never really goes away! It is so much easier and cheaper to replace something. TV are changed out every few years. Totally sad is computers....computer are disposal now too. Even if it is only a small little part to be replaced people just toss it away rather then upgrade it! What is going on with the World??

Facts about Riverside 

Public Works trash services promote a clean, healthy and beautiful environment through curbside and drop-off trash collections.

Trash, green waste and recyclables are collected on regularly scheduled days of the week and special pick-up services for bulky items, appliances and used oil may be scheduled by residents. 

Curbside services are provided by the city or Burrtec Waste Industries, Inc. for residential customers. Commercial trash services are provided by city-approved haulers.

Drop-off services for electronic waste, bulky items, and other special disposal needs are provided for residents on a regularly-scheduled basis through the CURE program.

The State of California requires cities to attain a target diversion rate based on the number of residents and employees within each city. In 2007, the city exceeded the goal and continues to promote recycling through business, multi-family complexes and residential education and outreach.

Upcoming Events:

Bulky Item / E-Waste Drop-off
8095 Lincoln Ave
9 a.m.-2 p.m.

• June 9, 2012
• September 15, 2012

Incredible Bulk Event:
Bordwell Park, Bryant Park, Collett Ave, Krameria Ave & Riverside Municipal Airport (Locations subject to change)
9 a.m.-2 p.m

• October 20, 2012 

Did You Know? Residents may schedule two free pickups per year. Appointments cannot be on the same day.

To schedule a pick-up, call your service provider:

Burrtec Service: 786-0639

City of Riverside: 826-5311 What is Composting? Photo Credit: riversideca.gov Composting is a natural process where plant parts and other material decompose with the help of fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms. Composting material includes weeds, lawn and leaf clippings, thatch and chip brush. The process results in a rich and crumbly layer of organic matter called Compost Why Should I Compost? Soil quality is improved by providing necessary nutrients Wet clay soils drain better and sandy soils hold more moisture if amended with compost. Organic matter is always handy for garden use. Composting keeps green waste from filling up overburdened landfills. How Do I Begin Composting? The City of Riverside periodically hosts Backyard Composting Workshops. For more information, please call (951) 826-5311 or (800) 366-SAVE. To get started right away, bins are available for purchase by contacting the Riverside County Waste Management Department at (951) 486-3200.