What's in your garbage can(s)?

Today is trash pick up day on my street. Here in our neck of the woods, we have 3 types of "waste" cans:

1 small-ish garbage can
1 full size recycle can
1 full size "green waste" can
(1 extra green waste/recycle can free!)



The garbage is picked up every week, and the other cans alternate Fridays (they are picked up every other week with the garbage). Cool deal if you ask me.

I can't help but notice - what are people throwing away? Why do I see white plastic kitchen sacks with red ties rising from the tops of garbage cans like swamp creatures reaching out for air or their next victim?

I am befuddled.

Literally the only things in our garbage can are:
1) Things you can't compost or recycle (packaging materials usually)
2) Raw chicken carcass parts (dog food...mmm yum. Thank goodness it's no longer 100^o outside.
3) Dog poop*

*Technically, I don't think the dog poop is allowed in the trash unbagged. Sorry! We hope to install a Doggie Digester in the backyard as part of the renovation...more on the backyard project in an upcoming post

Also of interest, in the house we use a square, plastic office garbage can -- just open the outside garbage can and dump -- no plastic kitchen bags! So yes I have to clean it every so often, but if it gets stinky I just leave it to dry and don't need to clean it until it gets really bad!

We could go a month between putting the garbage can out if it wasn't for the smell! (Oh, and we have before.)

We have 2 recycle cans because most of our "waste" is recyclables. (Note to self: we need to buy stock in an envelope company. You never think about how many envelopes you receive with bills and fun adult things like mortgage statements and utility bills. Oh, and don't forget property taxes. Yes. Fun adult things come in envelopes with the clear windows.)

Since we don't take the garbage can down every week, the recycle can is neglected as well. Having an extra can makes a world of difference when you're lazy.

And the green waste can? Grass clippings, branches, etc. Most of what can go in here we compost, but it somehow manages to get full at least once per month. Right now it's full of tomato plants. I didn't want to compost them because some showed signs of bug and disease damage.

Yes, I don't have kids, and our household is only two people. But do kids really produce that much trash? What if everyone was conscious of the packaging of the items they buy...perhaps they too wouldn't have to take their trash out as much. Recycling is easy. And composting is fun. Dare I say fun!? Really! I promise.

I'm not perfect (I say this as I cradle a Diet Coke cough*plastic*cough bottle in my hand), but like I say -- Do as much as you can 80% of the time, and give yourself a break on the other 20%.

Start with your waste stream!