recycling

Recycling – a community way of helping save the environment
What is recycling??
Recycling is the reuse of waste materials. Most people think only of recycling metals, paper, wood, and the like. In fact, you can recycle just about anything in the house.
Where is recycling done?
If you have recycling collection bins, then you should already be recycling. If you are not using these bins, then start using them now. If your council does not have a recycling program, then you can lobby them to get one started.
You cannot place everything into the recycle bin. Normal refuse (organic waste), for example, cannot be put into a recycling bin. You can, however, use it for compost (see previous article on composting). Toxic chemicals are not usually allowed. You should receive a calendar showing collection dates. This will have what you can and cannot put into the bin.
Can I recycle other items?
Yes you can, but not into the recycling bin. There are special collection services that will take these and dispose of them safely for you.
Benefits of recycling:
• Less energy used in recycled products
• Less waste produced
• Some materials can be recycled indefinitely

dumpster diving - one way of reusing what the earth gave

Dumpster diving.

What is dumpster diving?
Dumpster diving is the practise of diving into dumpsters to find usable items the original owner has found unusable.
The word ‘dumpster diving’ means, literally, to dive in a dumpster. The common image derived from this is a person leaping into a large trash bin, the best-known being produced under the brand “dumpster” in reality, it is more like fishing.
You can obtain produce and other goods this way, but take caution – make sure it’s been decontaminated first. You will never be able to obtain ‘new’ items this way as what most people throw are almost gone, or the food is near its use-by date.

Take precautions when dumpster diving – in some locations it is illegal.

organic fertiliser - living off the earth naturally

Organic fertiliser – what is it?

Simply put, it is fertiliser that comes naturally. There is no manufacturing process involved, except for the decomposition process required to make the fertiliser. The fertiliser itself comes from waste products.

Making your own fertiliser – composting and compost

You can make your own organic fertiliser in your backyard. This is called composting. To compost, you simply put waste material into a compost bin. Put in organic microbes to help the process. Get two bins so that when one is in use for in the garden, you can use the other one to continue composting.

There are certain materials that you should not compost in the backyard, as they require sophisticated, environmentally sound, and cost-effective technology. These include:

• Pet droppings
• Non-vegetarian animal manure
• Meat scraps
• Dairy products

These should be left to commercial operators with proper equipment (high-rate, thermophylic composting systems.)

You can compost:

• Dry, straw-type material, such as cereal straws
• Autumn leaves
• Sawdust and wood chips
• Some paper and cardboard (such as corrugated cardboard or newsprint with soy-based inks)
• Green plant material (fresh or wilted) such as crop residues, hay, grass clippings, weeds
• Animal manures (choose vegetarian horse manure, cow manure, llama manure, etc.)
• Fruit and vegetable trimmings
• Seaweeds
• Used Coffee grounds

You can compost eggshell, although it take a year or more to fully decompose.

Talk to your local nursery for more composting advice. They will generally have more specific information on you local area.