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The amount of household rubbish and all its by-products we produce depends on many, different factors. However, in our consumer communities no one can avoid rubbish. It's just a part and a product of life. And in that never ceasing cycle every step we take to reduce rubbish, dispose of it properly or make it less harmful for the nature counts a great deal.
note: I'm thankful to Paul's Rubbish Removal Melbourne team for the useful info and advise.
The first thing we need to know if we are to treat rubbish properly is what it contains. The most common waste products for a household are paper, plastic, glass, and organic products. Most of the things in our rubbish bins can be recycled or composted so there is no need for them to rot in landfills, taking up large spaces, and contaminating the environment. Of course, some types of waste are better to be thrown in the garbage bin. That way you'll know that rubbish like meat/bones, nappies, non-recyclable plastics (plastic bags, toys, CDs, DVDs, VCR tapes), broken ceramics, soft plastic that you can bend or scrunch, etc. will be handled properly in the landfill.
What can be recycled? This is very important question. Recycling can reduce pollution caused by rubbish but only if done properly. You can put in the recycling bin many things: paper/cardboard, aluminium or steel cans, glass jars and bottles, milk and juice cartons, food (pizza) boxes and all hard plastic containers (including coat hangers, CD cases, empty medicine bottles, plant pots and many more). It's also important not to contaminate your recycling. All recyclable items must be put in the bin without any wrappings. Don't mix the recyclable waste with the following items soft plastics, batteries, ceramics, broken glasses, windows or mirrors, mobile phones, electronic and computer parts, or food scraps. There are different recycling methods for some of those, and food scraps can be composted.
It's not a good idea to sort old chemicals in your home or anywhere near it. In most countries there are special collection facilities for a waste of the type. All residence can drop off their unwanted chemicals (usually for free). That way they can be sure that the waste will be treated in an environmentally responsible way. Of course, there are certain regulations regarding the amount and the type of the chemicals which could be disposed. Industrial waste is usually not accepted.
Inappropriately discarded syringes or needles are a threat not only to the nature, but to the human health as well. Although the risk of contracting a bloodborne virus is extremely low, it is still a possibility which is not to be easily overlooked. So if your country or city offers needle and syringe disposal service, use it when needed.
Except for the general types of recyclable materials paper, hard plastic, steel, glass (not broken), there are also a lot of other additional items, materials and substances that can be recycled. Among those are computers, batteries, old corks, furniture, white goods, hazardous chemicals, medicines, mobile and home phones, plastic bags, and more. There are recycling hot spots where you can drop off such waste. You can make a research on the web where is the nearest recycling spot or find out more information about the recycling options in your area.
Usually hard waste is too big to be disposed in the bin. And it's place is not there. If your city doesn't offer a hard waste collection service or you have after builders rubbish containing renovation and building materials (not accepted as common hard waste) the solution is local rubbish removal service. For a reasonable price you'll easily get rid of all your junk and will be sure that it's disposed properly.
Composting is one more option to reduce rubbish and in the same time take care of your garden if you have one. Everything from vegetable scraps and fruit peelings to egg cartons, shredded paper and dry leaves can be composed. The ideal compost mixture is 20 parts of carbon to one part of nitrogen (by volume). With a little research you can find which materials are rich of carbon and which of nitrogen. Don't add any meat, fish, fats and oils, dairy products, pet droppings, plastic, metals or glass. These items can't be composted.
