by Tim Giles

Created on: June 06, 2008   Last Updated: June 11, 2008

We were paying $15 per month for a corporate garbage collector to come once each week. We now drive 8 miles each way (Sometimes combining it with another trip such as the post office or en route to another location.)to our county recycling center where the charge is $1. We have gone seven times in 6 months. This has been successful for us.Moreover, it has helped open our minds to other ares of savings such as Medicare supplement coverage and relying on the intern for news instead of a delivered newspaper.

We're a retired couple, so we don't produce much garbage. However, we also made another change. We started composting. The $1 charge is for a 33 gallon garbage bag. We can fit two of our under the sink garbage bags into one 33 gallon bag. The following items are accepted at no charge: newspapers, junk mail, office paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic bottles (#1 and #2 shown in the triangle on the bottom), glass bottles (separated by clear, brown, and green), any metal that sticks to a magnet. We have separated receptacles for the different types. The personnel at the recycling center are very patient and helpful.

I think we can project 3 visits in two months for a savings of $13.50 per month. At 27 mpg for our Toyota Camry, it's .59 gallons , or about $2.37 in gas for each trip. We generally can avoid making a special trip. The extra mileage is about 4 miles, or abut half the distance, so the gas cost is about half of $2.37, say $1.18. The net savings is therefore about $11.73 monthly. Of course, there is additional time involved. but not significant for retied people.

I think going to a recycling center saves energy because that's their very purpose. Saving energy and saving money are both activities that are self replicating. Once you start, you establish a new mindset. Spending money on material objects that provide no lasting value are seen as counter-productive.

For our composting, we have a small area surrounded by chicken wire to keep out small animals. We cover the material with newspapers,dirt and pine needles. Compost material includes uncooked vegetable remains, grapefruit skins, banana peels.

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