On 2/14/07, becca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <becca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Here's an idea for reducing your garbage output: Don't take out the trash until the collection day. Store all of your trash inside your living space. Is it taking up too much room? Than otivates you to throw away less stuff. Does it stink? That motivates you to think about better ways to dispose of things. I haven't lived in a place with outdoor garbage cans since 1996.
Good heavens! Voluntary masochism sounds rather insane to me. Life is filled with enough unpleasantness and suffering as it is. I have to really push myself just to clean my room: to self-inflict more unpleasantness would only motivate me into some kind of depression, I think! And if I didn't deal with it and things stunk even more, then I'd soon say "the hell with recycling". You sound Catholic! I prefer more fun motivations: I bought a can cruncher and put it on my wall, for instance, after having so much fun using the one at the Looneys'. And I think taking fun-looking cloth bags to the store instead of wasting the plastic and paper ones is a pleasant alternative, and can be a form of self-expression, like wearing a cool hat!
The first effect of this was to motivate us to start a compost heap so that the vegetable scraps (which were attracting fruitflies) ...
I'm so glad I don't have anyone like this as a housemate! But I suppose that if it works for you, then cool! --TVTom