So I get this great idea that I'm gonna be more Green! I'm a Green Gal.
So where does everything go when you decide to recycle?
On the kitchen counters of course!
"Where does this can go?" asks my MIL.
"You can just leave it on the counter until I get a place to put it."
"Where do I throw this milk jug out?" asks DH.
"You can put it on the counter until I clean the kitchen."
Notice a pattern?
Yeah, this wasn't working! After one day DH was asking me what were my plans! I couldn't just leave everything lying around until I got around to finding a center to take it to! LOL I'm sure the picture in his head was a house slowly filling up with junk. I would become one of those people on TV that hoard compulsively! Obliviously I had to think of something fast!
So what did I do? I cleaned my kitchen! It sounds funny, but it's true! And separating recyclables is a breeze now - along with anything else in the kitchen!
First off I dug every little thing out of every little corner. I mopped and scrubbed said corners before replacing anything. If you're like me, when I clean something out, I really clean it out!! I pulled out the trash can, scrubbed it out and removed all the boxes stacked next to it (why were they there? well whenever DH cleans, he doesn't know where to put anything, so he stacks it up somewhere out of his way lol) I found things I have been looking for for so long! (another thing that happens when DH cleans up!)
Now I have a nice, clean, orderly pantry. The trash can is no longer over-flowing onto the floor, spilling out the junk from the day. It now only holds those items that cannot be recycled, composted, or reused. I have a large trash can on my porch that holds tin cans. Another trash can next to it that holds recyclable plastic. And a large container as well that holds aluminum cans. Next to my sink, underneath the counter in a 5 gallon white container with a top is the day's compost materials. Anything that can be composted goes into this container - coffee grounds, coffee filter, scraps, vegetable peels, unbleached paper and cardboard - and at the end of the day, when I do dishes, I walk outside and put it on the compost pile. There are no messy plates or bowls of food on the counters. No cans littering the floors. Next to the trash can is a smaller container for aluminum cans. These are many during the day and it's easier to have a place close by to put them. Also by having it next to the trash can, it's easier for someone to throw it in the correct container rather than forgetting and throwing it in the trash!
All of my counters are completely cleared off, save for cookbooks. I've even gotten rid of the dish draining rack! When I'm finished washing the dishes, I dry them, put them away and fold the draining rack and store it under the sink. Beautiful, clear, shiny counters! Plenty of work space for when I get in a mood to pull out Mastering the Art of French Cooking! And seeing my clean kitchen makes it easier to find a place for everything. I cleaned the trash can yesterday morning and put a new bag in it. It's only about 4 inches filled! This is a definite bonus! And less trash means less going into a landfill! That's always a biggie when I decide whether to toss something into the trash ... Now I always ask myself "Can this go somewhere else other than a plastic trash bag that'll rot into a landfill?"
***On a side note, I'd like to add that apparently I'm having a good affect on the people around me. Today my MIL was asked "Paper or Plastic?" She said she thought of me, straightened her shoulders, and said "Paper!" ;-)
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