Household produces no trash

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littlemiss63
Posts: 2516
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: Middle Tennessee

Re: Household produces no trash

Post by littlemiss63 »

colonialgirl wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 5:55 pm LM - great point about the paper plates. I only buy a small package around the holidays to send leftovers home with my family. It is so funny, during the year people will be at my house for meals or something and ask where I keep the paper plates. I tell them I don't use them and they look at me like I said I the sky is pink. They don't really believe that anyone doesn't use them daily.

I do use paper towels for specific tasks (draining bacon, putting fruit that stains on them to dry after the vinegar wash, etc) but I started dating my roll when I change it and discover I only use one roll every 4-6 weeks. I don't think that is too bad. I don't use coffee filters, or paper napkins or paper/plastic cups or glasses or straws or plastic flatware. So paper towels, TP, and cupcake liners are about the extent of my paper use. And I am not giving them up.
I have the neatest little pan that has raised ridges and is slanted to catch the grease for frying bacon in the microwave. Don't know where DH found it, but we've had it for years. I hardly ever use paper towels, but I do keep probably 3 rolls on hand.

I seem to remember a previous poster a long time ago who said her family used cloth wipes made from flannel instead of toilet paper. I am on a septic tank and considered it, but never followed through, maybe since I'm by myself I should revisit it. I would definitely have toilet tissue for my guests because some people would pass on thinking about going to this extreme for the environment.

I have researched it and it doesn't seem like it's to much trouble, and they are easy to make using pinking shears. Some might have an eek factor, but a mesh laundry bag inside a pail would keep you from touching the cloth that had been used for urine or poop. I raised two kids using cloth diapers and it never bothered me to rinse out the poop and those were kept in a diaper pail in a vinegar/water solution. From what I've read they actually recommend leaving them dry now. Seems the solution causes bacteria to grow.

My friends are amazed that I don't use paper plates, and I dislike them so much until I don't buy them. I always keep enough throw-away plastic containers on hand for anyone that wants to take something home with them. At least they will reuse those when they've emptied them, or I hope they do.

I have enough white & ivory cloth napkins to host a party of at least 50 people so I never buy paper napkins either. I bought them in bulk and they were very reasonable. I love my cloth napkins and have a cute little holder on the kitchen counter that holds at least 8 cloth ones. If there was a serious spill then we'd use paper towels to clean it up.

I have a perfectly good computer monitor and 19" TV that I am trying to give away so I don't have to throw them in the dump. I haven't found a place locally that will recycle them and that just kills me. I may try putting them on the street and hope someone will take them. I'd have to have my son-in-law do it for they are to heavy for me to handle. Then if they don't get taken he would have to haul them to the dumpster for me anyway. I've talked to the worker at the dumpster and ask him if when I brought them if there was a place that people could pick up things that were still working. He said they had tried that, but nobody wants a TV with a tube in it anymore, everyone wants the flat screens even if the TV was free. Decision, decisions.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: Household produces no trash

Post by Dgflorida »

Yes, TV sets are a problem. I had to put one on the street too. Worked well, but I was moving and downsizing and wanted less. Cross country moves charges are by weight. We are close to leaving TV completely. Most news stations streamline their news if you have their app. Sometimes, it is good for movies. But hubs uses it for news and some programs. I don't at all.

I only put poop toilet tissue in the toilet since I am on a septic tank too. The other tissues are stuffed in a Walgreens drug paper sack for fire starting. Sometimes, I use the used for wiping accumulated grease out of my dish washing rinse bucket. It tends to accumulate over a couple of weeks. However, I am inspired to use cloth for girl wipes and then wash them. Urine is pretty low in bacteria. This would reduce our use of paper a lot. Thanks for the idea, littlemiss.
2dogs+someCats
Posts: 845
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:46 pm

Re: Household produces no trash

Post by 2dogs+someCats »

clemencia2us wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 9:50 am https://www.washingtonpost.com/national ... 396ea92b74


though this was interesting
I produce way more than too much trash for just one person. I need to get ashamed of myself and try to reel it in a little bit. Mercy!!
Heloise
Posts: 835
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 12:11 pm

Re: Household produces no trash

Post by Heloise »

littlemiss63 wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 12:58 amI seem to remember a previous poster a long time ago who said her family used cloth wipes made from flannel instead of toilet paper. I am on a septic tank and considered it, but never followed through, maybe since I'm by myself I should revisit it. I would definitely have toilet tissue for my guests because some people would pass on thinking about going to this extreme for the environment.

I have researched it and it doesn't seem like it's to much trouble, and they are easy to make using pinking shears. Some might have an eek factor, but a mesh laundry bag inside a pail would keep you from touching the cloth that had been used for urine or poop. I raised two kids using cloth diapers and it never bothered me to rinse out the poop and those were kept in a diaper pail in a vinegar/water solution. From what I've read they actually recommend leaving them dry now. Seems the solution causes bacteria to grow.
That was me/us. Cloth TP in our house for years. Also used cloth pads, too (back in the day). As for soaking cloth diapers in the pail, I always found the pail to be too heavy with a soaking solution to comfortable handle when carrying down and up the basement stairs on laundry day, so I always dry-pailed. Diapers, rubber pants, and baby washcloths went straight into the plastic diaper pail at changing-time.
littlemiss63
Posts: 2516
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: Middle Tennessee

Re: Household produces no trash

Post by littlemiss63 »

Heloise wrote: Sat Jul 28, 2018 5:34 pm
littlemiss63 wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 12:58 amI seem to remember a previous poster a long time ago who said her family used cloth wipes made from flannel instead of toilet paper. I am on a septic tank and considered it, but never followed through, maybe since I'm by myself I should revisit it. I would definitely have toilet tissue for my guests because some people would pass on thinking about going to this extreme for the environment.

I have researched it and it doesn't seem like it's to much trouble, and they are easy to make using pinking shears. Some might have an eek factor, but a mesh laundry bag inside a pail would keep you from touching the cloth that had been used for urine or poop. I raised two kids using cloth diapers and it never bothered me to rinse out the poop and those were kept in a diaper pail in a vinegar/water solution. From what I've read they actually recommend leaving them dry now. Seems the solution causes bacteria to grow.
That was me/us. Cloth TP in our house for years. Also used cloth pads, too (back in the day). As for soaking cloth diapers in the pail, I always found the pail to be too heavy with a soaking solution to comfortable handle when carrying down and up the basement stairs on laundry day, so I always dry-pailed. Diapers, rubber pants, and baby washcloths went straight into the plastic diaper pail at changing-time.
Heloise, came on line for a last read before going to bed and was delighted to see your post. I have missed you and hope you will come back and join us. I kept my diapers in a soak, but my washing machine was on the ground level and I would pour most of the water off into the toilet before taking the diapers to the washer. I had already rinsed everything off them before they went into the pail. That's the reason using the cloth wipes doesn't bother me at all. After you have a couple of kids nothings does. LOL

Leaving on my trip early in the morning and everything is packed and half the stuff is in the car loaded. Talk to ya'll when I return and everyone stay safe.
Grannysewstoys
Posts: 4156
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:37 pm

Re: Household produces no trash

Post by Grannysewstoys »

I use almost no paper plates, mostly for sharing baked goods with my friend across the hall.

I bought some when I had had surgery a year and a half ago. I still have in the packages most of them. I do use my dishwasher.

I did use paper plates for the week after each of my cataract surgery. As I couldn't bend down for a week afterwards. That meant I couldn't use the dishwasher.

I do use a lot of plastic bags in the freezer, as I freeze food in one meal size portion. There is not enough room in my freezer to be able to use reusable containers.

Most of the food I do waste is when my health changes and I am unable to eat perishable for before it spoils.

Before I had a tooth pulled unexpectedly I gave away the fresh produce I had just bought so it wouldn't spoil. I didn't eat it but it didn't go to waste.

Penny
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