Thursday, December 29, 2011

Talkin' Trash

Out here in the country, we don't have regular curbside trash service. Well, let me clarify that. There is a trash service, but you have to pay for it. Since we live one mile down a dirt road, by the time we haul our garbage and recycleables into the back of the Outback and down to the curb we figured we might as well just keep driving, skip the removal fee,  and take them to what's known as the "transfer station", where debris of various sorts is taken, sorted, and then eventually hauled off to the landfill or recycling facilities.

Hubs created the recycling holding station pictured above for keeping our items out of the house (our pantry was getting some kind of crazy crowded with all manner of recyclables). Since almost every forest-dwelling predator imaginable shares the cove with us out here, he put a handled plank of wood on top to credit a barrier and deter easy access from marauding visitors of the four-footed persuasion. The gravel beneath each bin serves two purposes: it creates a weed barrier and it provides drainage to prevent water from pooling beneath the bins.

It's awesome. Over the course of a few days, I squirrel away recyclable this's and that's in a canvas tote in the pantry. When it's full, I schlep it outdoors and place items in separate bins for glass, metal, plastic, paper, and cardboard (which I jointly share with #5 recyclable items, accepted at our local Whole Foods).

As an order-seeking person, this appeals to me on so many levels. Things are tidy inside, and orderly outside, interluding in a sort of recycling purgatory until we fire up the Subaru and make our pilgrimage to the Transfer Station. I keep my sanity in check and my house orderly while our recyclables get a second lease on life. Win, win.

5 comments:

Sarah M said...

Brillant, simple, and actually a *nice looking* trash station! I can't stand having stuff in the house, either. This looks like an excellent compromise.

Sarah M

Elizabeth said...

I have the same issue, living in a rural area as well. Thankfully, the dump is only about a mile up the road, but they accept very limited recyclables. I've been trying to come up with a good outdoor storage solution too, though the area of back porch is all of like 3x12!

mandi said...

Great idea! We are in a new home and I have been brain storming ways to keep the recyclables from taking over the house!

Also- completely off subject- but i'm looking into investing in my first pressure cooker. I was looking at the Presto models 23 quart or 16 quart. Trying to decide if the 23 quart would be too big for daily cooking. Any experience with pressure cookers? any insight would be so appreciated!

ashley english said...

mandi-that really depends on how much you intend to can at one time. i've got an all-american 15 quart pressure canner and i've never felt the need for a larger size, even when making big batches. if you're feeding a large family, or all of the farm hands (should you have them), then get the larger size. otherwise, the smaller model should do the job just fine.

oklyous said...

Really cool and practical:)
I live in the city and I am soo disapointed about how it is not possible for us to sort our waste. I would love to do it, but sadly have no possibility of doing it.