Congratulations on your new home! As you may have already noticed, owning your own home comes with plenty of other responsibilities attached. You have mortgage payments to make, and you may have remodeling or HOA regulations to contend with. You may be as busy with yardwork as with housecleaning. But one thing that you should never allow to fall by the wayside is effective waste management practices. Practicing effective waste management can save you money and help reduce your carbon footprint. Here are some examples of ways you can handle your garbage smartly in your new home.
The 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
This is the most basic rule of good waste management, and the most essential when learning how to manage your own home waste. Reduce means to cut excess waste. Using plastic or glass plates instead of paper plates will save you more money at the end of the day and cut down on your waste. Energy efficient lightbulbs will burn for longer, so you won’t have to replace them for as long. Whenever possible, reuse old containers and repurpose junk before you throw it away. Outside trash like fallen leaves can be made into compost. When you can’t reduce or reuse, you should always recycle whatever can be recycled, such as paper, cardboard, and certain plastics. Check your recycling service’s list of acceptable materials before recycling.
Place Bins Strategically
There’s something about home that just makes us…a little lazy. When you get comfortable curled up in bed with a book or watching your favorite TV show, you don’t want to have to walk to the other side of the house to throw something away. Especially if you plan to recycle whenever possible, you should make sure that you have trash bins and recycle bins in the rooms you’re most likely to occupy. It’s much easier to get into the habit of recycling when everything is conveniently located!
Dispose of Hazardous Waste Carefully
Not all waste can be dumped to the curb. Flammable, toxic, or corrosive waste like motor oil, batteries, household cleaners, and paint products should be disposed of separate from your regular waste, and certainly separate from your recycling. Even a little contamination of hazardous materials in your recycling can make the entire batch unusable. Look at the bottle or package if you’re unsure. Do you see the words “danger” or “poison”? If so, you’re probably dealing with hazardous waste. Check your local laws when it comes to disposing of hazardous waste. College Station actually holds a Household Hazardous Waste Event every October, free to all Brazos Valley residents, where hazardous waste can be dropped off.
The decision to manage your household waste efficiently is a smart one, but it can be difficult when you live in Brazos Valley outside of College Station city limits. Fortunately, Brazos Valley Trash Valet & Recycling specifically serves Brazos Valley residents outside of city limits for that reason. We provide curbside trash service for just $21.95/mo and offer free curbside recycling. Your 64 gallon maroon curbside bin is free with subscription. Contact us today and let us help you with waste management for your first home.
