#recycling garbage compost pickup will happen

[sarasa-cat]

It is Sunday chores time

After a good-busy day

And I am so sleepy

But I need to do these chores

[irishais]

So how do I live plastic free? Do you have any tips as someone who has done that? Re the leather rather than pleather post — i agree with not using plastic.

hello! i have been mulling this ask over for the last couple of days, so apologies for the slow!

the short answer of this is that living entirely plastic-free in most areas is nearly impossible, and our tiny ecological footprints really aren't anything in comparison with the several large corporations who are dumping waste and garbage into the oceans at an intolerable rate.

but! you can definitely do a few things that will significantly impact your single-use plastic consumption!

1. avoid vegan/PU leather. go for real leather. it'll last forever, and only get better with age. PU will just crumble and flake away, and you're left with something unfixable and not nice to carry around.

2. get a reusable cup and water bottle you'd ACTUALLY use. glass and metal are great alternatives to plastic bottles, but you won't use a cup that won't fit your regular starbucks order, no matter how cute it is.

3. your reusable bag collection doesn't mean shit if you never take them to the store and keep having to buy new ones.

4. bring mason jars, cloth produce bags, etc to the grocery store to evade the little tiny cheapo bags. if using heavy containers, write the tare weight on them so the cashier doesn't charge you for the weight of your jar plus what you're buying.

5. if you find yourself in possession of clean, empty glass or plastic jars you won't use, or boxes left over from a move, offer them up on your local buy nothing group! people use jars for candle making/crafts and moving boxes are expensive, so people will JUMP at not having to pay for them.

6. CHECK. YOUR. LOCAL. RECYCLING. GUIDELINES. everyone should find their county/city site and figure out what can be thrown away versus what their recycling center will actually take. inevitably, things you thought were recyclable are not, or if your area has compost pickup that you can sign up for!

7. sometimes, you're gonna get stuck with a single-use plastic item. it's gonna happen. don't beat yourself up over needing to use what's out there! life is already a pain in the ass and sometimes you just have to go for what's convenient.

[garbagebinrentals]

Are Bioplastics A Waste Problem in Waiting or the Future of Plastic Recycling in Toronto – see here!

Bioplastics are highly praised. They’re compostable. They’re plant-based. They’re the plastic savior!

Unfortunately, the truth about bioplastics is very different from how they’re marketed. Though greener, there’s a lot to bioplastics that are problematic. They aren’t all biodegradable. They aren’t all biobased. Bioplastics may very well be a new type of waste problem that we, as a society, aren’t ready to deal with.

Facts about how we use in Canada

 Canada recycles only 9 percent of its plastic waste.  89 percent of our plastic waste is put into a landfill or incinerated.  Plastic incineration creates greenhouse gas emissions. The amount is likely to reach 1.2 gigatons annually by 2030.  There’s evidence showing how plastic ends up in our environment. This harms whales, turtles, seabirds, and all sorts of wildlife.

Plastic waste is a global issue, not simply a Canadian one. It is within our power, however, to change our behaviour. The waste disposal and recycling of plastics is our responsibility. In response to the plastic waste problem, the federal government is proposing a ban single-use plastics Canada-wide by 2021.

What are bioplastics?

Bioplastics fit into three categories.

1. ‘Biobased’ means ‘derived from a biological source’. This could be plastic made from corn, potatoes, organic food waste, or other materials.

2. ‘Biodegradable’ means the plastic can be broken down into natural substances like compost, carbon dioxide, or water. To have this happen, a bioplastic has to be under certain conditions though.

3. Bioplastics that are both biobased and biodegradable.

Some companies are developing wonderful technologies that turn waste into compostable bioplastics. For a cost, we’re almost at the point where waste molecules from anything can be turned into some version of plastic.

Bioplastics is a developing industry, with further growth expected. About 3.6 million tonnes of bioplastics are produced every year. This is a very small percentage within a larger 359 million tonnes of plastic produced worldwide annually.

Different types of bioplastics

 Starch-based bioplastics make up 50 percent of the bioplastics market and are used in compost bags, food packaging, and consumer goods packaging.  Cellulose-based bioplastics.  Protein-based bioplastics are made from wheat gluten, casein, and/or soy protein.  Aliphatic polyesters.  Polyhydroxyalkanoates create a natural plastic from the bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids in nature.  Polyamide 11 is a natural oil-based plastic used in catheters, electronic device components, sports shoes, oil and gas pipes, and anti-termite sheathing.  Bio-derived polyethylene.  Genetically modified feedstocks.  Polyhydroxyurethanes.  Lipid derived polymers create plastic from the synthesis of plant and animal-derived fats and oils.

Are bioplastics an environmentally sustainable plastic alternative?

Bioplastics are not an environmentally sustainable waste product. A lot of bioplastics aren’t biodegradable. This presents a big issue.

The Coke PlantBottle is an example. It uses biopolyethylene, a raw plant ingredient to make plastics instead of fossil fuels. Though this is great news, it still doesn’t produce a bottle that’s broken down like a true biodegradable bottle. The finished product is still plastic.

A bioplastic can also still be made from fossil fuels. A ‘biobased’ product is only required a minimum of 25 percent carbon from biological sources. The other 75 percent can be fossil fuel sources like usual.

You can have the bottle be 100 percent made from fossil fuel as long as it’s biodegradable. Ecoflex, a plastic known as polybutylene adipate terephthalate, is one such case.

The most eco-friendly plastic is no plastic at all. Let’s be clear in saying that. Bioplastics aren’t society’s answer to the plastic problem. They merely complicate it.

Do we have a waste disposal system that can handle bioplastics?

The Coke PlantBottle is still chemically plastic, even if it was made from alternative sources. This means it’s not going to biodegrade and is treated like any other traditional plastic. Our waste management and disposable system for plastics is underdeveloped and cannot recycle bioplastics.

Unfortunately, all types of compostable plastics end up in landfills more often than not. Most Canadian municipal waste systems do not know how to process them. In landfills, society’s bioplastics sit for 100 years or more. They emit potent greenhouse gases all the while breaking down at the same rate as other plastics.

Numerous studies have found biodegradable or compostable plastics fail to deliver on their claims.

A 2017 University of Bayreuth study showed how biodegradable plastics that spent a year in seawater or freshwater did not biodegrade.

A similar study was done two years later on compostable bags which did not compost after 27 months in soil. That’s over 2 years! From our perspective, it’s not difficult to see the bioplastics industry is lying.

What are small businesses supposed to do in search of eco-friendly plastic?

For small businesses that want to do good for the environment, bioplastics aren’t where to look. Unfortunately, those who have were burnt because of it. Giving out compostable plastics to eventually find out they aren’t being recycled is a disappointment no one wants.

There are some compostable plastics, biodegradable plastics, and bioplastics which can be recycled. This is true. Until we have sufficient recycling programs in place though, there’s no way to recycle them.

Are bioplastics the future of the plastics industry?

Plastic manufacturers want to stay in business. Bioplastics are their answer to surviving bans on plastic. Although one day they could be an excellent alternative, today the term ‘bioplastic’ doesn’t count for a lot.

As consumers, we can make the choice to reject bioplastics. Some have gone to criticize bioplastics as green-washing. As a garbage pickup and waste disposable company in Toronto, we have concerns about how bioplastics are being marketed.

As it was said earlier in this article, the best alternative to plastics is nothing close to plastic. Environmentally friendly materials include stainless steel, glass, wood, natural fiber cloth, and paper. These are eco-friendly alternative to plastic.

Continuing to use plastics, in whatever format, is a waste problem. It isn’t solving anything except for allowing major corporations to claim they’ve done something environmentally friendly.

This isn’t to discourage the pursuit of plastic adjacent material. If there was a true biodegradable, biobased bioplastic out there, that would be wonderful. Unfortunately, commercially speaking, there isn’t one right now.

Core Mini Bins is Toronto’s top waste disposal company, offering everything from junk removal to dumpster rentals, garbage pick-ups, waste management for small businesses, and more. Speak with a representative for info on how to set up your property with everything it needs for eco-friendly waste management.

Source: https://www.garbagebinrentals.ca/waste-collection-removal-disposal-blog/766-are-bioplastics-a-waste-problem-in-waiting-or-the-future-of-plastic-recycling-in-toronto-see-here.html

[somedaysiamspike]

Ways You Can Save the Planet Without a Treaty #3: If You’re Going to Waste Food (and you shouldn’t), Don’t Throw It in the Trash

It must’ve been quite a sight. Today my roommate and I wheeled two large bins through our idyllic downtown, covering about a dozen blocks from the hardware store to the natural foods cafe/grocery that I own. 

We needed the bins because we’ve been having trouble finding someone to take our compost. Sigh. It’s silly. It’s frustrating. Here were are, in the heart of the fertile Shenandoah Valley, the breadbasket of the old Confederacy, with farms as far as the eye can see from north to south, and yet there’s no systematic way for restaurants to get valuable food scraps to the farmers who could use it. There’s a supply; there’s a demand, and yet as a society we’re too lazy to put two and two together. It’s far to easy to just throw the food scraps in the garbage. Who cares if our kids and grandkids have polluted water or a trash-filled oceans? Let’s just worry about ourselves and leave the next generation to fend for itself, huh?

First of all, we shouldn’t be wasting so much food to begin with. America leads the world in food waste, with a staggering 60 million tons of produce alone tossed away annually. (Here’s a link with more details: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/07/american-food-waste/491513/). We manage our pantries and fridges so poorly. Whatever happening to meal planning, folks? And using leftovers to make the next day’s dinner?

But even if we ate all that’s edible, there would be plenty left over for the compost pile. Your banana peels, your watermelons, your egg shells, you non-meat leftovers, your napkins and paper towels -- all of that stuff is valuable! It contains nutrients that will help us grow more food. Keep a compost bin in your kitchen -- you can get one with charcoal if you’re concerned about the smell -- and take it out to your compost pile or tumbler when it’s full. Over time, it will turn into rich, dark soil that will be perfect for your flower bed or vegetable garden. More importantly, your garbage cans won’t be as full, and neither will our landfills. 

Don’t have a garden? Save up the compost in a barrel and take it to a farmer once a month or so. Your ag extension office (or local equivalent) can give you some suggestions. There might even be a composting service in your town/city that accepts your “donations”, so to speak.

Now I’m the first to realize that composting is not practical for all, particularly for those who live in apartment complexes, but there are other ways you can help. Support farmers’ markets and local restaurants. When I was in Boulder, Colorado, last year, I went into a place that had signs in the bathrooms proudly announcing that even your used bathroom paper towels would be composted. I can’t wait to go back to that place!

My own cafe used to have a composting service to pick up our scraps, but the service shut down operations because not even businesses would sign up. That’s so sad. I went door-to-door downtown, asking each restaurant what it did with its compost. Several places said they save it for a local farmer they happen to know. Others use the scraps for their own gardens. Fair enough.

But there were others who didn’t give a flip. The fancy Italian place? The owner told me he didn’t care. The Mexican place? Nowhere to store it. Hardee’s? The manager on duty didn’t seem to know the meaning of the word. 

Our cafe has three bins for customers: Recycling, Compost, and Trash. We find that some patrons are fastidious about putting everything in the correct bin; others don’t care at all. My employees are left to sort through it all -- they deserve extra pay just for doing so! This week we’re starting a new arrangement with a local popular farm. Their deliveryman already comes once a week to drop off eggs and meat, so he’ll take our compost as he drives away. 

The obvious solution is for a municipal arrangement. Your city/county most likely picks up your trash once a week. Within the last couple of decades, it’s become common for the city/county to also pick up your recycling once a week as well. Maybe it’s time for a weekly compost pickup. Start with restaurants, then maybe spread out to households. There’s plenty of demand for it all. Good to your town/city/county council meeting and suggest that it be done.

 And, yeah, I know what you’re thinking. It would be nice to leave government out of it and let private enterprise come up with a solution. I don’t think that works in this case. If we had left recycling to private enterprise, most of us would still be tossing our aluminum cans and newspapers and plastics in the garbage.

The top photo below shows the composting area in my backyard. I fenced it in with chicken wire. I keep it covered with leaves to keep critters to make it more attractive, and to help the composting process. 

The bottom photo is the compost tumbler that came with the house. It works much faster than just making a pile. The inside is already full of wonderful compost for the garden. 

The photo near the top of this post is the sign we place in my store, urging customers to put their scraps in the proper place.

This is part of a series. Here’s what’s happened so far …

Prelude: https://somedaysiamspike.tumblr.com/post/163409793816/you-wont-always-have-paris-12-ways-you-can-save

Part 1: https://somedaysiamspike.tumblr.com/post/163409797406/you-wont-always-have-paris-12-ways-you-can-save

Part 2: https://somedaysiamspike.tumblr.com/post/163448588211/you-wont-always-have-paris-12-ways-you-can-save

[bluepointcoin]

COVID-19 causing strain on garbage pickup, says Island Waste Management

The amount of waste being generated has increased as more people stay at home or self-isolate during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Gerry Moore, CEO of Island Waste Management Corporation.

“We’re still, you know, collecting compost, waste and recyclables,” he said. “But what’s happening is, you know, people may be seeing an opportunity I guess with time on their hands to perhaps do some spring…

[firedingo]

Living In A Regional City

So as readers of this blog, I’m sure I’ve mentioned to you before that I have sleep issues. I certainly know I’ve said it to a lot of different people in the past before though.

Namely, I have trouble falling asleep at night and each night I seem to get tired later and later, resulting in my sleep times and wake times gradually sliding forward until I’ve moved through an entire 24 hour period. To say that sucks is an understatement.

There’s generally two ways in which sleep issues are corrected. One is to supply a person with melatonin which they take just before bed to help regulate the hour at which they grow sleepy enough to well go to sleep.

The other is to be exposed to bright light in the early morning, not long after a person has woken up. That’s designed to decrease melatonin production in the brain and increase a person’s sense of wakefulness as well as helping to regulate wake times.

Combined, they make a fairly effective treatment to a lot of sleep issues.

Unlike in America though, Melatonin is only available through a doctor’s perscription and often for no more than 3 months at a time. Kinda sucks if you ask me.

So this morning I came and sat out the back on our steps and soaked in the warm sun. Partly to wake up and partly to warm up since the winter chill finally arrived. Having had a heatwave in Autumn that could rival Summer meant when the cold finally got here it was quite the shock to my system.

So now I finally get to the point of the post :P

I was sitting here in the sun listening to the noise around me and I started reflecting on my childhood, often the sounds I’d hear before going to school followed by the sounds I’d hear throughout the day to mark the passing of time.

It got me thinking I should write a post about what living in a regional city is like.

So, Imagine a morning where the air is chilly but the sun is toasty warm. There’s a light and gentle breeze through the air blowing on and off. You can see the trees move slightly to it before settling again.

All around you you can hear noise happening. From the early hours of the morning you could hear the steady increase of noise. Over night it was dead quiet but from about 6am the noise began increasing.

First it was the delivery trucks rolling into town from Sydney. They’d driven all night to make it here for the morning. Fuel trucks, food trucks, milk trucks, grocery trucks. They come rumbling down the main road, squeaking any time they have to break.

Next you heard the low deep rumbling grunt of a garbage truck as it comes by to pick up the garbage. One comes, then a little while later another comes and finally the third comes a bit further along. One picks up the landfill waste, another picks up recycling and a third picks up compostable waste.

Then you begin to hear the chirps of birds around you. First a few, then more. The tell-tale signs of the smaller birds waking up first followed by the larger birds. Slowly the light increase, sneaking ever more through the cracks around the curtains.

Then begins the low thrum as workers begin driving to work. Miners leave early to start their shift, hospital workers are both leaving from night shift and going to their morning shifts. Retail workers start moving off. Cafe and bakery workers first, followed by supermarket workers and other retail workers, then business people.

Then parents begin to wake and prepare their kids for school. By now the world is full of noise as people bustle about on their way to wherever. It’s almost like the world reaches a crescendo by about 9.30am by which time most kids have gone to school.

And then the noise drops a bit. Until about 11am the noise continues dying down to a low thrum as you feel the level of traffic reduce. People move around doing what they need to but it’s almost like a quiet calm has settle over the town.

Now we get to the time I’m writing this :P

Around me I hear birds chirping, a lawnmower cutting grass, I hear the long squawks and calls from larger birds communicating long distance. I hear a thrum of traffic rising and lowering as throngs of cars come by and go.

Occassionally I hear a dog bark or a gate close. Sometimes a snippet of voice drifting on the wind or the slam of a door as someone parks on the street out front. Sometimes I hear the whoosh as a larger bird flies overhead only metres away and they jostle the air between us with the flaps of their wings.

At this point I could get in my car and drive anywhere. The cafes would be filled with people eating and drinking, the streets busy with people walking to and from their destinations. I could drive across town in no time at all. It might take me about 30 minutes to drive from one side to the other despite ~45,000 people living here the town is not as big as you might think.

As lunch time arrives the throng of people and cars and the thrum of noise increases as people break for lunch. You can feel another although less intense crescendo build.

And then the afternoon arrives and the world dies down, visibly quieter than the morning, by now most people have headed to work again or back home. A real peaceful calm drops over the town. Still you heard the odd car door close or dog bark but much of the noise has gone away.

This can last for a few hours, at least till school pickup/work knockoff time comes and the thrum increases almost to levels greater than the morning as everyone bustles about doing what they need to that they couldn’t do previously.

The thrum lasts right up to dinner time and then it begins to calm down till the night is once again dead silent.

What I love so much about living in a regional city is that the lifestyle is so much more laid back. I don’t have to rush to get anywhere, there’s no 1000 and 1 steps to plan.

I can hop on my bike or in my car and just go. People will stop and ask if you’re ok if it looks like you might not be. People wave to you and say hello in the street.

There’s a real sense of community here, you may not know everyone but you know someone who knows someone else who knows someone else and everyone is connected some how. You recognise family names because they’ve been big contributors to the community since forever.

You know where all the different age groups go, you know what places are popular and why. There’s a real sense of home.

There’s a sense that the city and the bush have blended together to create an incredible place. The town is large enough that national chains still want to setup here but small enough that you hardly have to go far to find a quiet piece of tranquility and bushland.

I’m sure there’s things people can say about their homes if they grew up in a large metropolitan city or small village or rural property but this is why I love living in a regional city and what it feels like.

If you read this far then thanks :)

It is a kinda large post I know :P