My House: Recycling System

Part of our culture in our home is recycling. We have created a system which has become so natural and second-nature, it virtually seems effortless now. The household learned as we and develop what worked best for us.

From start to finish, here is our system:

Recycling Bin on the Porch

- We have a bin on our porch, just outside the kitchen door. It's very easy to toss items in the bin with 5 extra steps from the kitchen work zone.

- Once the bin is full, it gets emptied to the Sorting Station.

Sorting Station
- That's a fancy name for "designated containers."

- We originally purchased 6 duplicate containers with lids. After aging in extreme temperatures over a couple of years, the plastic becomes brittle and breaks. By then we had learned which containers seem to fill soonest and most often. So we replaced them with larger containers.

- The photo shows a large trash can on wheels. This is our plastics container. We use far more products in plastic than other materials.
- Once these containers fill, or even 2-3 of the containers, we make a trip to the recycling station nearby.

Simple solutions make a huge difference. Save yourself time and energy by putting a plan in place, then working the plan.

Think about any system in your home which brings frustration because it just isn't working. Do you have a puzzling problem? Call Sheri for a free consultation.

(c) 2009 Sheri Smith Bertolini