No recycling :(

[Neek]

We recently moved and there is no council run recycling here so on bin night, we just drag one big, full wheelie bin up the driveway and shake our heads in disgust. Well, we take 2 weeks to fill it but it's still disgusting. So now I am on a mission to recycle as much as possible, but need a little help to get started!

So, firstly and most obvious is composting green waste, which is well under way.

Secondly, I am sure there is a way of recycling all our paper waste without throwing it into landfill. I wanted to get a worm farm, but am not sure how much they eat and if they'd devour piles of newspapers, junk mail, opened envelopes, etc.

Not to mention glass and plastic. I feel terribly guilty throwing these things into the rubbish bin knowing they're going stright into landfill >(

Guess I'd just like to hear how people do their bit of recycling, especially if there is no council run recycling service made available to you.

Thanks

[DePome]

We have no council recycling. They told me they trialled it but the residents didn't like it I told them to get with it, it's the 21st century. F&^$ what the residents say

Anyhow, ur-hemmmm, Dh takes our recycling to the dump ever 16 days. The dump is the only place with recycling bins It's about 15 mins from here and he drives by it on his way to his first night shifts every 16 days which is why he does it then. We have a LOT of recycling in that time. It has reached the stage where DH feels ill looking at the amount that his mother throws away so he has now offered to bring some of her recycling back to our dump when he comes home every 16 days from his last night shift (he works away and stays at his Mum's house) We have very little packaging with our food too since most of it is market produce bought through a co-op kinda set-up.

We save some of our paper to put through a shredder and then we use it as bedding in the chooks' nesting boxes. Shredded paper is useful when setting up a worm farm and they will certainly eat it too but I don't know how much they eat sorry, I've only got as far as buying a used bathtub to turn in to a worm farm

[Rinelle]

Shredded paper is used for bedding in a worm farm, and usually they will eat through it as they go. I wouldn't think you'd be able to get rid of much this way though.

Probably your best way to get rid of your paper is in your compost, along with your vegie scraps. Use it in the layers where you'd use hay or grass clippings. Unfortunately though, they dyes in coloured print aren't all safe to use, so stick to the black and white stuff. Not sure about envelopes because of the glue? Although I suppose it would have to be non-toxic.

As for all the plastics etc, can you reuse them at all? Many plastic containers can be used for planting seedlings. Glass bottles can often be reused to store jam or other kinds of food. Even if you don't use them, you might be able to donate them to your local thrift shop?

Is it too far for you to take things that you just can't recycle to the local recycling centre?

[fayble]

That is just plain madness..what is with some councils.

I was thinking about the paper in the worm farm..I have two and they eat a fair bit of paper I just tear out the plastic window of the envelopes bin them and feed the rest to the worms.
You can also use shredded paper as mulch in your garden. You can use toilet rolls to pot up seedings/seeds and then just plant them straight in the garden when the plant is large enough.

The local kindy/preprimary may have a use for your plastic bottles or glass jars even magazines and cardboard boxes.

Vegie scraps can go into the compost with some paper/cardboard.

Do you have a friend in a suburb that has recycling that may e able to take your overflow after you have put the other measures in place??

Good luck..with some ingenuity I am sure you can find a place for most of it and feel better about your landfill.

[Jamie]

There is no recycling in our country town, either. Apparently they trialed it here years ago, too. The council says the residents weren't interested. The Residents say the garbage truck picked up both bins at the same time and dumped it all at the regular tip.

I'm looking in to options to take recycling with us to other towns when we already have a planned trip. There is a town 150kms away from here that has recycling. I'm planning on taking it there.

[mummabare]

omg....I just assumed all councils recycle...that is just stupidity!

How about trying to reduce what you consume so there is less waste to begin with. I have a stash of opened enveloped that I use for storing seeds, glitter, beads etc they are pretty handy to have!

Do you read your junkmail? Could you read it online instead? Pop a no junk sticker on your letterbox to reduce the paper your getting.

Can you get into recycling paper? I read on Eileens blog recently about her kids recycling paper and it looked really easy...I havnt tried it yet but looks fun.

Can you petition the council.......i think its truely disgusting.

[Georgie]

Schools love boxes of any sort - at least my DD's school does - so cereal boxes, tissue boxes, boxes from washing powder, etc.
Check with your utility providers and financial services providers to see if you can receive bills and statements online.
I agree on re-using plastics and glass. Things like yogurt tubs can at least be re-used a few times for storing things in. I re-use coffee jars and all that kind of stuff.
Whenever I get a large envelope, or pst I keep it and use it for sending out small eBay items or other stuff I have to post. Small envelopes I keep as scrap paper for jotting notes & phone messages on (obviously it's still better to recycle them afterwards, but even if you are just re-using them once, it's better than nothing).

[spiralgirl]

might be the right time to start petitioning the council about it, as climate change is so well known now, so eco friendly alternatives are kinda flavour of the month

AND its National recycling week from 12-18 November!

[*kaos*]

Um, recycle a bit of paper and write at letter to the council - that's ludicrous.

When I lived in a unit that had no recycling bins, I use to put it in the garage until I went to my parents house and take it with me then. I couldn't bear the thought of all those recyclables going into landfill. Is there anyway you can do that?

I just think that it might be bordering on impossible to reuse stuff on a long term basis. You are bound to collect and reuse enough jars and containers etc that soon you'll have so many you won't know what to do with them. You could consider changing your shopping habits by limiting the amount of packing as much as possible.... that might help.