Recycle, Compost, Trash: How do you tell your guests?

[Yooper]

The City I live in is taking our throwaway society into the 21st Century! Although currently an opt-in program (made more palatable by a huge discount), we're switching to a three-bin system--Recycle, Compost and Trash.

Now, recycling is an old-school thing for us; we've had curbside recycling since 1976, when a bunch of Hippies bought an old school bus and drove around the County picking up old newspapers and aluminum cans; that program developed into a Citizen-owned, non-profit recycling Company that's pretty efficient.


(click to enlarge this lovely image)

The new system will introduce curb-side composting and a considerably smaller trash bin. We'll be limited to 10 gallons (maximum) per week of actual landfill-bound trash, so it will become important for anyone visiting to assist and sort ALL outbound disposable stuff.

We'll have two bins in the Kitchen--Compost and Trash. Recycle will stay just outside the kitchen in the Garage. Bathroom trash will be compost only--used tissues, TP tubes, etc.

How would you handle this delicate matter and not be perceived as a dickhead? The compost containers will require special (expensive) liners. There will be small labels on the two kitchen containers (which will help The Partner, I hope) but the rest will be ????...

Thanks for your input! Welcome to The Future!

 

[pat grimshaw]

..How would you handle this delicate matter and not be perceived as a dickhead?...

I can't see any problem.

My city has had this system for the last 15 years.

 

[LeicsDom]

 

[rareboy]

You tell your guests.

Up here in Bumfuck Canuckistan we've had a comprehensive paper/container program in place for about 20 years...so in our kitchen, we have a stack of small bins that sort it out and these get dumped into the large bins in the garage a couple of times each week.

All the cans and containers get washed before they get put in the bins and plastic wrapping etc. rinsed as needed.

I don't understand the idea of papers and cardboard going into composting. We compost all organic matter in our own yard and use it in the gardens.

Although we are permitted one small bag of personal waste each week, we might have one every 6 months because most personal waste is still paper or containers.

So if we have guests staying for any length of time, we show them where they can toss their recyclables and trash and then don't worry if they get it right or not because we can always sort it later.

A couple of years ago we had a wedding with about 200 guests and staff and it was a zero waste event, so it is doable even on a large scale.

 

[Pierresro]

In SPain we have no bins or garbage pails on each street there are large containers one for glass one for card boad boxes etc and one for regular garbage and another for Plastic and cans. Every other week a truck comes and replaces each container with a washed one there are no rats that's it

 

[NotHardUp1]

"Oh, I need to tell you about the recycling. Our town has a three-bin system now and we only get 10 gals. per week of actual trash service, so I need you to help us while you're here.

Here is the composting one, and here is the recycling one.

If any of it is unfamiliar to you, just ask. I know it's a bit limiting, but we feel great about it and Colorado is a beautiful state, so we love doing our part.

Thanks."

 

[Kahaih]

. . . .

The new system will introduce curb-side composting and a considerably smaller trash bin. We'll be limited to 10 gallons (maximum) per week of actual landfill-bound trash, so it will become important for anyone visiting to assist and sort ALL outbound disposable stuff.

We'll have two bins in the Kitchen--Compost and Trash. Recycle will stay just outside the kitchen in the Garage. Bathroom trash will be compost only--used tissues, TP tubes, etc.

. . . .

Seems like this sits near, and in some cases, I'm sure, hops over the line into the category of medical waste.

Instructions/requests regarding bathroom/bedroom waste would seem to be the most delicate area/concern.

What does your city say? What are residents supposed to do with used condoms, used feminine hygiene products, etc.?

Flushing is not an option, but too much sorting and separate storage of personal waste would/could become quite intrusive and uncomfortable for guests and family/household members.

 

[Benvolio]

I makes no sense to compost bathroom tissue and cardboard. Are you certain you have not misunderstood the rules?

 

[Kahaih]

I makes no sense to compost bathroom tissue and cardboard. Are you certain you have not misunderstood the rules?

I'm not sure what 'curb-side composting' [paragraph 4] means, either. Surely they don't leave biodegradable waste decaying beside the street.

I'm thinking it may be a local/colloquial thing to use 'composting' the same as 'recycling'.

 

[JohnnyAnger]

Pretty easy where I am - two bins in the kitchen. Clear white bags recycling, black bags everything else. Most people here are use to it though, as everywheres been doing it for a while.

 

[gsdx]

I makes no sense to compost bathroom tissue and cardboard. Are you certain you have not misunderstood the rules?

Cardboard and pressed cardboard egg cartons make great composting material. They provide brown waste. Besides, there is a great difference between compost and recycling. Recycling includes paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, glass, styrofoam, etc. Compost is green waste grass clippings, leaves, weeds, garden plants, small branches, etc.

Peterborough picks up trash, recycling, and green waste each week. (Recycling is mandatory.) I don't put out much green waste. Most of it goes into my compost bin.

 

[Yooper]

From the City:

Curbside composting is easy! Simply put your food (including meat, dairy, and bones), soiled paper (e.g. napkins, paper towels, tissues), shredded paper, yard waste and branches (lid must still close and individual branches cannot exceed 6-inches in diameter) in your curbside compost cart. Your compost cart will be picked up every other week and taken to a commercial facility. There, the compost is cooked at temperatures of up to 150 degrees, breaking down materials that won’t decompose in your backyard compost pile and destroying disease causing bacteria.

And for recycling:
Our Single-Stream Recycling Guide illustrates all the kinds of things that you can put in your blue-topped recycling bin. Print it out and keep a copy handy!

Magazines, brochures & catalogs
White or pastel office paper
Newspapers & inserts
Phone books
File folders
Blue prints
Paper egg cartons
Paperboard boxes (such as cereal boxes)
Cardboard boxes (PLEASE FLATTEN)
Opened mail and greeting cards
Paperback books
Empty aerosol cans (NO CAPS)
Paper milk/juice cartons (NO FOIL POUCHES)
Loose metal jar lids and steel bottle caps
Clean, balled aluminum foil (2” or larger) and pie pans
Glass bottles and jars
Cans (DO NOT CRUSH OR FLATTEN)
#1-7 Plastic tubs and screw top jars (NO LIDS, NO #7 PLA COMPOSTABLES; DO NOT FLATTEN)
#1-7 Plastic bottles and jugs (NO #7 PLA COMPOSTABLES; DO NOT FLATTEN)

 

[Vannie]

Does this mean I should cut down on eating stuffed cabbage ?

 

[Kahaih]

From the City:

Curbside composting is easy! Simply put your food (including meat, dairy, and bones), soiled paper (e.g. napkins, paper towels, tissues), shredded paper, yard waste and branches (lid must still close and individual branches cannot exceed 6-inches in diameter) in your curbside compost cart. Your compost cart will be picked up every other week and taken to a commercial facility. There, the compost is cooked at temperatures of up to 150 degrees, breaking down materials that won’t decompose in your backyard compost pile and destroying disease causing bacteria.

. . . .

It still looks/sounds very strange. I would like to reprimand whoever wrote that.

It is not curbside composting. What they mean to say, and should say, is 'curbside compost cart pick up', or better yet, 'curbside waste materials pick up' as the composting is not done on site/curbside.

'Curbside repair' means your car will be repaired on the street where it sits.

'Curbside delivery' means your purchase will be delivered to the curb/not brought in.

It also goes on to say 'Your compost cart will be picked up every other week and taken to a commercial facility.' Do they empty the cart at the curb, leaving the cart there, or do they actually take the cart with them and return it some other time? Do you have to buy a new cart every other week?

 

[Kahaih]

Cardboard and pressed cardboard egg cartons make great composting material. They provide brown waste. Besides, there is a great difference between compost and recycling. Recycling includes paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, glass, styrofoam, etc. Compost is green waste grass clippings, leaves, weeds, garden plants, small branches, etc.

Peterborough picks up trash, recycling, and green waste each week. (Recycling is mandatory.) I don't put out much green waste. Most of it goes into my compost bin.

I thought 'brown waste' was just a polite way to say poop, manure, dung, etc.

 

[BiMeGuy]

Does this mean I should cut down on eating stuffed cabbage ?

No, eat more.

 

[gsdx]

I thought 'brown waste' was just a polite way to say poop, manure, dung, etc.

No, not in home composting. You have green waste (vegetables and vegetable trimmings, grass clippings, pulled weeds, etc.) and brown waste (dead leaves, dead weeds, pressed egg cartons, brown paper, cardboard, etc.) in relatively equal amounts. It needs to be moist and, as it decomposes, it will generate heat. It also needs to be aerated.

No white paper or news paper, though. They have been chemically whitened.

Dung, manure, and poop are compostable. They make great fertilizer.

 

[Rickrock]

NotHardUP1 came up with what you should tell your guests.

This is rather new to me. We have voluntary recycling which most people comply with. We do not have compost. I didn't see what you should do with styrofoam. I think that it is dictatorial to limit your trash. What do you do when you discard old furniture and small and large appliances, especially when a renter move out and leaves a pile of old furniture, appliances, broken bicycles, exercise equipment, old school projects, old toys, etc? Elderly people throw out wet Depends underwear, etc. What about these?

 

[Yooper]

NotHardUP1 came up with what you should tell your guests.

This is rather new to me. We have voluntary recycling which most people comply with. We do not have compost. I didn't see what you should do with styrofoam. I think that it is dictatorial to limit your trash. What do you do when you discard old furniture and small and large appliances, especially when a renter move out and leaves a pile of old furniture, appliances, broken bicycles, exercise equipment, old school projects, old toys, etc? Elderly people throw out wet Depends underwear, etc. What about these?

Your questions are why it gets fun around here!

The City has a facility (The 'Waste Diversion Center') that takes the following (copied directly from their website)--but you have to get your stuff there:
Items Accepted:
Yard waste, including tree limbs and leaves
Compostable materials, including household food waste
Single stream recyclables
Plastic bags
Used automotive and cooking oil, and automotive batteries
Shredded paper
Holiday trees, wrapping paper, and lights, during holiday season
Styrofoam
Scrap Metal

Electronic waste can be taken to an authorized recycler, but there's a charge per item. State Law now prevents ANY electronic waste to be tossed, that's now mandatory.

Larger stuff (furniture, small appliances, etc) can be picked up by the City (for a charge per item); you can order a dumpster (charge per unit, varies by size, and Contractor); or you can be 'Green' and take it to the CHaRM Center (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) and they'll do whatever with it, for a price.

This may be entertaining for those of you that would like to look into the future; this is what getting rid of your trash will eventually look like (the CHaRM Center was the first center of its kind in the USA and is a pilot program; they get some of your Federal Tax Dollars for this work!):
http://www.ecocycle.org/charm/#guidelines

Hazardous waste has four special collection days per year. Those items are collected at the Public Works garage, but you still have to get your junk there.

I'm guessing that soiled Depends have to go in the regular trash, sorry Vannie!

The stated goal is for the entire county to be Zero Waste (aka Landfill-free) by 2020 or so. They haven't figured out how to get rid of everything--used drywall and roofing shingles are the two hardest ones to figure out.

 

[NotHardUp1]

What do you do when you discard old furniture and small and large appliances, especially when a renter moves out and leaves a pile of old furniture, appliances, broken bicycles, exercise equipment, old school projects, old toys, etc?

You take his deposit and pay the city to haul off the trash and detritus that the renter thought you wouldn't mind handling for him. Part of his deposit just became a handling fee. It's pretty standard to subtract a cleaning fee when the rental isn't left clean.