[Eco] Don't take out the trash!

[Tom Eigelsbach]

On 2/14/07, becca at earthlingshandbook.org <becca at earthlingshandbook.org> wrote:
> Here's an idea for reducing your garbage output:
> Don't take out the trash until the collection day.  Store all of your
> trash inside your living space.  Is it taking up too much room?
> Than otivates you to throw away less stuff.  Does it stink?
> That motivates you to think about better ways to dispose of things.
> I haven't lived in a place with outdoor garbage cans since 1996.
>
Good heavens!  Voluntary masochism sounds rather insane to me.  Life
is filled with enough unpleasantness and suffering as it is.  I have
to really push myself just to clean my room: to self-inflict more
unpleasantness would only motivate me into some kind of depression, I
think!  And if I didn't deal with it and things stunk even more, then
I'd soon say "the hell with recycling".  You sound Catholic!

I prefer more fun motivations: I bought a can cruncher and put it on
my wall, for instance, after having so much fun using the one at the
Looneys'.  And I think taking fun-looking cloth bags to the store
instead of wasting the plastic and paper ones is a pleasant
alternative, and can be a form of self-expression, like wearing a cool
hat!

> The first effect of this was to motivate us to start a compost heap so
> that the vegetable scraps (which were attracting fruitflies) ...
>
I'm so glad I don't have anyone like this as a housemate!  But I
suppose that if it works for you, then cool!

--TVTom