Recycling,

This topic comes about because today is the day the recycling bin is taken down to the road for collection in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

Our bin is pretty full as it was emptied four weeks ago. It is fuller than normal. A quick look inside confirmed that there were some extras in there. Some metal waste form the workshop after a number of projects were completed in the last month. The main culprit was the rusty mesh from the broody hen pen. Normally after a month the bin would only be about half to two thirds full so its seems sometimes we produce a little extra waste.

Driving to and from the property we work on over the river it's noticeable how full other yellow lidded recycling bins are each fortnightly pickup. The reason it sticks out is the lids can't be closed completely because there is so much material stuffed in them.

Do people think that recycling is just about putting it in the recycling bin? Or do they save their cardboard packaging and paper based products to use as mulch?

Each year we have a couple of shoe boxes of financial papers to put into storage for the required number of years and consequently two shoe boxes of papers to dispose of somehow. Timing is everything. Rather than burn the sensitive documentation it is held over until a hot compost is being made and used as the first layer. When Jean stopped teaching she had boxes and boxes of teaching notes. These were used as a thick mulch under hay to restrict the spread of the Plumbago bush.

Most glass containers are kept for reuse at least once if not many, many times. Once they reach an end of life they are then placed in the recycling bin.

Wherever possible everything is reused as often as possible to justify environmental costs of manufacture.

We try so hard to be responsible with our consumption. There are so many people out there trying to do the same and yet we are outnumbered.