Daily Trash: How to Reduce It

One day this month when I was on my own (sans family), I weighed all my trash -- both garbage and recycling. It amounted to 2.48 pounds and consisted in the main of packaging. At that rate, I'd waste a staggering 10 tons in 25 years.

In Trashy Habits, my November issue of This Green Life, I pick through the trash from that day and offer ideas for reducing it.

Have you been successful in cutting back on your waste? Please share your tips!

Donating and recycling old clothes

In my home, when we're through with clothes or shoes, we typically hold onto them a long, long time -- not out of sentimentality, simply for lack of a convenient alternative.

Typically, most of the clothes are in good condition or even "like new" -- so they are obviously not garbage material. But I have long suspected that even worn-out garments have life remaining in them. A little investigation shows this is true.

Clothing is one of the most reusable and recyclable products there is. Just get it to an organization or company that accepts old clothes and they will take it from there. (Some even offer pick-up service.)

Here's what happens to the clothes next.

• The best clothes -- those that are still in fashion and top condition -- are resold in thrift shops, or distributed to the needy, in our own country.


• Second-best clothes are sold to secondhand clothing markets in less-developed countries. (Some people worry that this could undermine local textile industries there, but a study by Oxfam concludes that the used clothes trade is not the main obstacle to local industry. Meanwhile, it does create hundreds of thousands of jobs and benefit consumers in these nations.)


• Clothes that are no longer fit to wear are turned into rags and polishing cloths.


• The dregs are transformed into new fiber that can be used for other new products.

Find out how to dispose of clothes responsibly -- through clothing donations, recycling, clothes swaps, resale and more -- in my latest column for NRDC. (You'll have to SCROLL to get to all the links.)

Recycling compact fluorescent bulbs

One objection to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) that people often raise is the problem of disposing of them safely due to the mercury they contain. Mercury is a toxin that is particularly dangerous to the developing brains of children (and babies in utero) and is suspected of posing a heart risk to adults. The amount in CFLs is quite small and is sealed off in any case, but could pose some risk if bulbs are broken when disposed of. As a result, many towns have special facilities where used bulbs can be dropped off, but it's extra trouble to locate the facilities and bring the bulbs there, and many people don't want to bother.

I was therefore delighted to learn that you can now recycle CFLs at any Home Depot store. It doesn't matter what the brand is or where you bought it as long as the bulb is intact. Home Depot says recycling is handled responsibly by an environmental management company to "maximize safety and ensure environmental compliance."

CFLs last years before expiring so this isn't a problem you face often, but it's helpful to know one easy place to go when you do.