Taking my morning walk on garbage day has become painful for me.  Like walking into an animal shelter and seeing all of the rejected unloved little creatures who just want to be loved and feel wanted, so my heart goes out on garbage day.  I walk past piles of, what seems like still usable goods and chattel that should be given to a good home, not sent to the landfill.

If I can on the night before, upon spotting some fantastically amazing item that someone can use, I will make an effort to come home, and jump online to post a “at the Curb” notice on the Recycling yahoo groups I belong to:

www.freecycle.org [http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/OttawaON-Freecycle/] 

or 

http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/FullCirclesOttawa/

If I only see this fantabulous gift to humanity on the morning of, I will carry it home, if I can, and store it in the back yard for a day or two.  And again, post it and let someone who can use it, resell it, whatever – keep it out of the landfill.

Then I look at all of the recycling.  We just received our updated notice of the pick up weeks for both boxes and what is and what is not taken.  They actually took photographs for this one to help make it really clear what they do and do not want.  It seems very limited as to what they will take.  But at least there is some  recycling here in Ottawa!

So, I had my pad thai last night and walked over with my take-out container, cleaned and ready to be re-used.  The lads laughed as they took it and plopped my pad thai pak into it, but no problem, they save  a few pennies themselves.  And I refused the new chopsticks as well – I keep the ones from previous meals out. Promo: Champa Thai on King Edward – simple, good, not sure how business is for them, but I am doing my part!

But I still had take out, and have it quite often.  That should be considered as well in order to examine my commitment to the environment.  I reuse and recycle for sure.  And I probably will now start to look at ways to reduce and yet still enjoy my very busy little universe….

So, stop putting your usable stuff out to landfill – post it on Freecycle or whereever – someone can use it!

Boing says so!