Top 10 rubbish tips and small things to do Cardboard boxes
Cardboard takes up a lot of space and is often hard to tear apart. Try soaking the cardboard in a bath of water to soften it. Then you will be able to tear it down into small pieces quite easily.
Cardboard can also be used as a base to build a vegetable patch on top. You lay the cardboard down flat, and then pile the mulch, dirt, manure, compost, potting mix and seed raising mix on top. Build the garden bed 30cm to 60cm high and plant your seeds for fresh vegetables or flowers year round.
Plastic bags
Keep your plastic bags from the supermarket and store them inside a bigger bag. These bags come in handy for lining small waste paper bins or using as carry bags. When the bin is full remove the bag and empty waste in the wheelie bin.
Australian’s use six billion plastic bags a year, half of which are from supermarkets. The supermarkets are likely to start charging a levy for each plastic bag in the future. If you want to recycle them, they must be taken to a special recycling centre. Only about 10% get recycled each year.
Leaves
Rake up all your leaves and put them in the compost bin. Leaf mould makes great compost and is a valuable resource in the garden.
Recycling
Use the appropriate bin and ensure you put acceptable waste in the right place. Rinse out plastic bottles and remove lids.
Grass Clippings and Compost Heaps
You can run the lawn mower without the grass catcher attached and let the clippings fall to the ground as you mow. This helps return the nutrients right back to the grass without the need to fertilise the lawn as often. Otherwise all clippings should be captured and composted in a heap for later use on the garden beds. Lawn clippings make great compost and compost reduces the need to water your garden beds.
Water and Watering
Small steps in water reduction are important when trying to save this precious resource. Shorten shower time, harvest the stormwater captured by your roof and gutter, don’t water lawns – They only “die off” in summer, they hibernate and will start growing again next season. Water plants in the morning at sunrise, plants grow best when watered in the morning.
Organic Kitchen Waste
All vegetable matter in the kitchen can be placed in a separate bin for composting. This includes eggshells, peelings, food scraps and small meat bones. Ensure your compost bin is sealed to keep food waste away from pests.
Freecycle the Hard Rubbish
Freecycle is an online website that allows you to give away items your would probably throw away.
Milk Cartons
Keep all your old Milk Cartons; rinse them as soon as they empty to stop them going mouldy. Use milk cartons for storing nails, screws, cut them down and use to plant seedlings. When the plant grows, tip out and re-pot the plant in the garden.
Use an empty milk carton to pour grease from the frying pan. Instead of the grease ending up in the sink and blocking your drains, you can easily throw the grease filled milk container into the rubbish bin.
Paper and Waste Paper
When you receive a letter keep the envelope and use the back for writing notes or lists. Use the back of A4 paper to save you buying notepads. Place a no junk mail sign on your letterbox. Go to the local library to read the latest newspapers and magazines.
These are just a few ideas you can use at home.