Aiming for progress, not perfection.

"...being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 1:6

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

we are trashy people.

i am embarrassed to say how much trash the henry home generates.

i'm embarrassed to tell you how (un)often we take the trash out, too, but that's a different post.

but seriously! i don't know if i'm doing something wrong or if it's that there are 3.5 kids around here in diapers (grant counts at .5 since i don't have him every day) or what.

how much trash does your household generate? how much is too much? any thoughts on paper towel use? i've contemplated using only washable cloth towels and rags because i tend to fly through paper towels. i do love them though.

do you have any trash-reducing tips?

if not because you're a recycling-eco-friendly person, than because it's unbelievably annoying to fill up a bag of trash -- sometimes more -- every single day!

so indulge me. and comment. many thanks.

7 comments:

Meems said...

We go through a bag of trash a day as well. Let me know what you find out:)

Ballentine said...

We eat out. That reduces trash generated from food packaging, paper towls needed to clean up the mess, and not many left overs to toss. We usually have about two trash bags per week. We also have a Diaper Genie, and Lorelai is out of the house at least 40 day-time hours per week so we have significantly less diapers to dispose of. I'd say a bag of trash per day for 5.5 people is pretty good! Oh, and I also have an air filter similar to this

http://www.amazon.com/Hammer-AOR240FC-U-Fresh-Clean-Grabber/dp/B000I5ISBU

next to my trash can so I don't have to change it when it is stinky, but not full.

Cherie Mac said...

San Angelo has a curb-side recycling service for $20.00 month. FMI you can check out their website:http://angelorecycling.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

Cherie Mac said...

http://angelorecycling.web.
officelive.com/default.aspx


phone number and acceptable items are listed -nice folks!

La said...

We're trashy too. We almost always have a bag a day. Unless I'm cleaning and then there's more.

In SA, the trashmen would pick up however much you put out (so fabulous!). Here, you have one city issued can and that's all the trash you can put out. It's only been hard because when you are remodeling you obviously make more trash. There's also all the leaves we have to rake from the trees. We really could have used that dumpster we rented longer.

Definitely some white trash right here. =)

Dewey Hafta Academy said...

We have 5 in our house (kids are 7, 12, and 15) plus an infant (M-F from 8:00-5:00). We usually fill 3 kitchen-sized bags a week. Sometimes it's 4, but sometimes it's only 2.

I quit buying paper towels and napkins quite a while back. I use my nicer fabric napkins for napkins and use the trashy ones in place of paper towels. I do keep a few paper towels in the house for those occasions when only a paper towel will do, but I keep them in an out-of-the-way place so my people don't grab them out of habit. One roll will last me several months.

It was strange for the whole family at first, but now we're all used to it. I toss the napkins in with the laundry a few at a time, and don't really notice a difference in the amount of laundry it gives me. (Shh -- I have also been known to re-use napkins if they don't get dirty -- I just make sure they go back to the original users!)

Jason and Jenna Jones said...

Don't feel bad. My husband and I had 7 - 8 bags of trash alone after a few days. And there are two of us. So I don't know if that makes us truly disgusting people... lol... or normal?

Hope that helps :o)