Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...will this work?

Ravenlost · #1 04/18/08, 03:53 PM

I've been thinking about the old "reduce, reuse, recycle" adage as Earth Day approaches. Some of the things I want to do is cut down on our garbage and reduce the amount of plastics we use. Here's what I came up with...

Instead of using plastic freezer bags to put up my garden veggies this summer I am thinking about using glass jars...the ones that you can't can with (example...spaghetti jars). Will this work? If I pack the jars well can I eliminate the risk of freezer burn/frost?

I'm also going to stop buying plastic sandwich bags for hubby's lunch. Instead, I am saving the wax paper from cereal boxes, washing/drying and using it to wrap sandwiches, etc. My mom has used these for years to roll out biscuit dough. I don't think I can remember her ever buying wax paper.

I'm also going to call the customer service number on every catalog/sale paper I get and have them take me off their mailing list. Every junk mail envelope is saved to be used, every piece of paper I get in the mail that has a blank side is put into the printer to use and I am going to start (again) making sure I shred and compost anything else that can be composted.

We have a kitchen garbage can full of trash every day. Most of it is dog food cans (we are going to cut down on canned food greatly) and junk mail. I've got to do something to stop all this stuff going into the landfill.

bajiay · #2 04/18/08, 04:05 PM

I have been trying to do the same thing, as far as reducing trash goes. I am down to a bag every two to three days now. If you use a lot of processed food, that contributes to the trash pile up greatly. I noticed a tremendous difference when I changed over to making things from scratch and buying in bulk. I reuse glass jars from mayo and such for freezer jam and things like that. They seem to hold up (not freezer burning) for that but I haven't tried veggies in them. Good idea on the catalogs. I bet I get 5-15 a week! I save them to use for stuffing boxes when I mail things to my daughter or my younger daughter uses them a lot for homeschool projects.

Ravenlost · #3 04/18/08, 04:21 PM

I buy to much processed food, but I'm working on that. I have to convert a very stubborn suburban man who likes his frozen pizzas, etc. He's getting there.

OUVickie · #4 04/18/08, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenlost

I'm also going to stop buying plastic sandwich bags for hubby's lunch. Instead, I am saving the wax paper from cereal boxes, washing/drying and using it to wrap sandwiches, etc. My mom has used these for years to roll out biscuit dough. I don't think I can remember her ever buying wax paper.

I'm also going to call the customer service number on every catalog/sale paper I get and have them take me off their mailing list. Every junk mail envelope is saved to be used, every piece of paper I get in the mail that has a blank side is put into the printer to use and I am going to start (again) making sure I shred and compost anything else that can be composted.

Ravenlost - The wax paper idea is awesome - I would have never thought of that. Thank you!

Here's a link for removing yourself from all kinds of lists and the junk mail list works, because I did it!: http://www.govspot.com/ask/nameofflist.htm

treesonggal · #5 04/18/08, 04:48 PM

WE are very frugal and have little trash. Cans and jars go to the recycle center. Mayo jars are saved for canning. Paper is shredded for compost. We're on a do not call list and have asked for countless companies not to send us their junk mail.

We buy butter and here's a tip I got from my mother. Save the wax paper from butter to grease pans with. She always had a stack of them in the frig for her bread pans, etc. I am such a cheapy I have been know to wash and re-use them. George makes a pineapple upside down cake that is kinda messy when inverted on a cookie sheet. so I got creative last time he made it and taped the butter papers together to line the cookie sheet with. He thought I had really gone over the edge that day!!

Ravenlost · #6 04/18/08, 05:03 PM

We live in a poor rural county in Mississippi. There are no recycling centers, except for a private one where I take aluminum cans. No place at all to take plastics or glass for recycling.

Good tip on the butter wrappers! I also buy butter and had never thought to save the wrappers. I'll start doing that immediately!

Thanks for the link OUVickie! I'm going to check it out right now!

Jan in CO · #7 04/18/08, 06:33 PM

How about metal recycling, Ravenlost? We clean out all cans and mash them, then take them along with any other metal once or twice a year to the city to the recycle center. Tough when there isn't a place near you to take them tho. You MAY be able to fill the jars with water after packing them with veggies, leaving enough headspace and the lids loose so they don't break and avoid freezer burn. My elderly neighbor always did her peas that way, as well as fish and poultry.

Jan in Co

Ravenlost · #8 04/18/08, 06:37 PM

I will check with the only recycling place around here and see what types of cans they will take. I've only taken aluminum cans to them. It would be great if I could do something with all these dog and cat food cans (hubby refuses to let me wash and keep them).

greeneyedgirl70 · #9 04/18/08, 07:36 PM

We save all our spaghetti jars, mayo jars or anything that comes in a glass jar and reuse them when we do our summer canning. They are wonderful and most take the ball flats and rings and seal well and if not well then there a great jelly / jam jar or for sour Croat!

Now my husbands aunt puts her hog sausage in glass jars and freezes them with no problem. I have not tried this. Although i do can some of my hog meat.(but i have not froze in a glass jar)

I save all my bread bags and reuse them also.

I love the idea about saving the wax paper from the cereal, i had never thought about that. Although we dont buy a lot of cereal in boxes, (we usually buy no brand in bulk bag.)

Ravenlost · #10 04/18/08, 07:52 PM

I do reuse jars for canning, but I often have jars that are odd sizes and don't take any canning lids. I'm going to give it a try this year, although I will use up the freezer bags I already have first.

Danaus29 · #11 04/18/08, 08:31 PM

I freeze veggies in recycled glass jars (as well as canning jars). Works real well for peppers and onions after chopping them. You have to break the pieces apart with a knife or fork though. Should work for tomatoes and berries too. I haven't tried keeping chopped spinach or kale in jars. I think it would be too hard to get that out.

naturewoman · #12 04/18/08, 08:44 PM

I wouldn't use glass jars in the freezer, but I do save all my plastic mayo jars for pantry storage, and I think they'd work well for the freezer and you wouldn't have to worry about broken glass in the freezer, or losing food when thawing due to broken glass.

Queen Bee · #13 04/18/08, 09:16 PM

I was going to post and ask about trash compactors! We have wayyyy too many dog food cans and they can fill a trash bag up! I started stepping on them and crushing them before putting them in the bag.. I just do one while I 'dig' the food out of the next can! I am going to get a shredder for all our junk mail and old taxes papers.. I have taken to using anything with a clean area for notes and then shredding it by hand. I also will fold the gloss pages into 1" wide strips and using them for book marks. QB

Paquebot · #14 04/18/08, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OUVickie

Ravenlost - The wax paper idea is awesome - I would have never thought of that. Thank you!

You do realize that the paraffin coating on wax paper is a petroleum product? You're merely substituting one for the other!

Martin

Ravenlost · #15 04/18/08, 09:25 PM

Yes Martin, but since hubby has to have his cereal I figure I might as well reuse the packaging. By substituting something I already have on hand I don't have to buy another petroleum product.

Paquebot · #16 04/18/08, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenlost

I do reuse jars for canning, but I often have jars that are odd sizes and don't take any canning lids. I'm going to give it a try this year, although I will use up the freezer bags I already have first.

If any jar comes with a lid which has a "button" in the center to indicate that it is sealed is OK to can in. The sealant is plastic-based and not subject to breaking down like canning lid rubber. It DOES work! All you need to be certain of is to match the lids with the threads. Especially handy for tomato products such as salsa or catsup which have vinegar as part of the recipe.

Martin

Oldcountryboy · #17 04/18/08, 09:46 PM

We've been saving our tin cans for recycling. We don't crush them and take them in when we get a trash bag full of them. Don't get but a couple of dollars for them but I like the ideal of having them recycled instead of the dump. Plus when we go to town the recycling place is on the way anyway.

We collect all the aluminum cans and scrap aluminum we can find along with copper and cash them in.

We reuse butter tubs for freezing fish, leftover stew or chili, and vegetables. We call them "Butterware".

Hopefully soon we will get to start recycling all our plastics cause there's suppose to be a recycling plant to go in at a nearby town that will be making products out of the used plastics.

Ravenlost · #18 04/18/08, 09:59 PM

Yeah, we have some of that "butterware" too. I have to be careful what I put in it though. Hubby likes to melt plastic into his food when microwaving his lunch. I'm trying to get him used to using glass bowls for that, but he complains.

gina kay · #19 04/18/08, 10:35 PM

I like to make homemade bicuits with eggs and sausage as a sandwich. I found that taking an empty veggie or tuna (or similar size) and take other end, stand it in the skillet, crack my end into it and keep it there while the eggs cooks. The egg doesn't spread and fits the biscuit better. Just use the potholder to remove the can! I, too, found that if I don't use much processed food I don't have uch trash. We burn our trash and take our cans to the recycling center whenever we go to the city. We've started using cat litter in the jugs and I use the empty ones for my homemade laundry soap.

**clovis** · #20 04/18/08, 10:43 PM

Food can steel is supposed to be high quality steel. Some firms buy steel food cans.

We crush and recycle all of our #1 and #2 plastics, paper, cardboard of all types, aluminum, etc.

Organization, storage, a system and dedication is the key to recycling.

Three of us put out less than one really small trash bag per week.

Clove