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Environmentally Safe Homes - Waste

Think about how many bags of trash you took to the dump, or left for the garbage men this week. How much of that waste consisted of items you could have reused? How much of it was food, or biological? How much should have gone to a recycling center?

The United States has been called the disposable society for our wasteful activities. We have reached a point where we expect the smallest item to be wrapped in a padded box to be thrown away as soon as we take it out. Many houses will throw away coffee grinds, banana peels and other prime composting items only to buy a bag of topsoil and fertilizer when gardening season arrives.

Solid Waste

The garbage we dispose of is dealt with in a number of ways. Sanitary landfills are highly controlled by the federal government and dispose of solid waste by spreading it in many thin layers and then covering it with soil. The run-off from a sanitary landfill must be captured and purified off-site.

Incineration is another method of solid waste management. Municipal incinerators burn solid waste at extremely high temperatures. This decreases the amount of actual waste that goes to the landfill by as much as 90 percent. The heat from incineration can then be used to generate electricity or steam. At the same time, the gases that result from this burning must be carefully purified and treated to remove any toxic chemicals.

Because sewage is largely liquid, it must be treated in other ways before being released into the environment. Sewage is disposed of in two major ways:

• Sewage treatment plants process waste in several ways to remove large objects, break down any solid mater, eliminate biological contamination and remove chemical pollution. The resulting liquid waste is released into a receiving body of water while any solid waste is either buried in a landfill, incinerated or recycled into fertilizer.

• Many homes have their own septic tanks. These tanks store solid mater that must eventually be cleaned by a professional after years of use. Liquid is released into the soil through a simple tile filtration system. Septic tanks may become problematic if an area becomes overly populated. Too many septic tanks in the same area may cause more waste than the soil can absorb.

Hazardous Waste

You might be surprised by how many of the items in your home are actually considered hazardous waste. Common household items like paint, thinner and adhesives can be a source of hazardous chemicals. Even nail polish, nail polish remover, hair spray and deodorant may cause problems if they are not disposed of properly.

Any hazardous materials such as motor oil, gasoline, antifreeze or any of the items above should be separated from other garbage and taken to a hazardous waste collection center.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

You've probably heard someone say that before, right? The most simple way to solve problems with waste is by not having any. If we take the time to purchase products without excessive packaging, reuse what we can reuse in the home and send recyclable materials to the proper centers, we will have a tremendous impact on our environment.

Many trash pick-up services now offer special bins and considerations for customers who wish to recycle. And some local governments have even begun to make laws regarding the separation of recyclable materials. Taking a few seconds out of the day to separate plastics, paper and glass will make the future of our planet brighter.

Compost

While plastic, glass and newspaper are all created by human beings, many of the items in your trash have been around far longer than we have. Mother nature has been dealing with biological waste like fruit peels, corn husks and uneaten food for a long time. Composting simply takes advantage of the natural decay process. And for gardeners, the resulting fertilizer is some of the best in the world.

When building your compost site, you should be sure to consider the five rules of composting:

1. Air. In order to properly decompose, organic materials require oxygen and other gases in abundance. You probably weren't planning to build the compost heap in your second bedroom, but it doesn't hurt to mention that an open area in the backyard is preferable. Occasionally turning the heap, relocating it or building it on sticks or boards will provide additional oxygen that the biological agents need. Additionally, compost aerators can be purchased at most hardware and gardening stores. These tools allow you to turn and mix the compost to allow new airflow.
2. Moisture. Place your compost site in a shaded area to keep the sun from drying it out. Normally nature will take care of the rest. If you live in a dry climate you may need to water the compost as you would a yard or flower garden.
3. Energy food. Materials high in carbon serve as the energy food for compost. These include dry leaves, brown paper, wood chips and dry flowers. Around two thirds to three fourths of the material in your compost pile should consist of energy food.
4. Green food. The rest of your compost heap should consist of nitrogen rich materials like manure, kitchen scraps, grass clippings and old produce. The nitrogen rich agents speed up the composting process, but if you add too many, they can have the opposite effect by making the pile too soggy.
5. Warmth. Many people cover their compost piles with black plastic during the colder months to maintain the natural heat given off by biological composition. Warmth keeps the biological agents alive and speeds along the chemical process of decomposition.

There's a few don'ts to remember when creating your compost heap. Meat scraps will attract animals, milk or oils will inhibit decomposition and both will cause foul odors. But as long as you remember the five guidelines, you should have rich brown mulch within six months to a year.