Not sure if this has been discussed already in detail, but wondering if people have plans for dealing with uncollected garbage.
I plan on using my kitchen garbage disposal (as long as we have electricity) for anything food related and will continue to sort clean recyled items in my garage. Plan is to not use alot of paper items, until such time as power/utilities are out and then switch over to all paper items. I am going to buy some large tin garbage cans that can burn paper items.
There is a good thread on how to deal with sewage, just not sure how to deal with other items, especially if someone in the house is sick. Do you bury it? Burn it? My fear is that people won’t know what to do with their garbage and will start chucking it everywhere!
Again, apologies if this was covered on another thread.
I want to get a burn barrel. They’re actually illegal where I live, but if there is no garbage pickup, I can’t imagine that the officials will be out enforcing burn barrel ordinances. People, any idea where one picks up a burn barrel?
Felicia – at 23:50 --- People, any idea where one picks up a burn barrel?
Many years ago in California, burn barrels were legal in residential backyards. My dad just got an old steel 55-gallon drum that was closed on one end. He cut 4 holes about 2×2 inches in size around the bottom edge, then he set it up on top of several flat fire bricks. To keep flaming debris from flying out, he got some half-inch chicken wire and cut it to fit over the top, overlapping the edges about 2–3 inches.
I would imagine you could find used drums at mechanics garages, service stations, etc., but make sure they weren’t used for motor oil storage. And make sure they’re steel…take a magnet with you. If they are anything but steel, the magnet won’t stick.
Awsome information - thanks BroncoBill - especially liked the part about taking a magnet!
A caution if you use a burn barrel that you have to cut the top off: Check to see what the barrel once contained, and make sure it was not some sort of flammable solvent (or something similar) that could be an explosion hazard. If you use a barrel that once held something flammable, fill it up with water such that there is no air space left. Then you can use a cold chisel to cut the top off and cut holes along the bottom. If you can, buy one that you do not have to chisel off the top even if it costs more.
In urban areas, it will be best to rinse out all food stuff containers (as long as running water continues) and crush them. Double bag the containers and store in the garage, attic, …etc. until trash pickup resumes.
I plan on putting our garbage in boxes, then wrapping them to resemble Christmas presents. I’ll then leave them unattended in the back of my pickup truck parked next to the sidewalk. Think that’ll work? :-)
If you should have reason to worry about intruders. Bury it in a shallow looking grave site in your front yard. The sight of a grave and the smell iminateing from it may be enough to discourage anyone who might mean you harm without haveing to resort to violence.
I’m not going to risk using my garbage disposal, because the drain pipe clogs easily and we can’t call the plumber in a quarantine. Wonder if those worm farms are a good idea? They do make some good soil…but it kind of seems like another dependent to keep alive. Might be worth it anyway.
If you have enough yard/property, might be wise to start up a compost if you don’t trust your garbage disposal. I need to look into one that would fit a small yard. Also need t look into a burn barrel.
We don’t have a disposal (septic) so I guess I’ll start the compost pile I’ve always wanted to start. And, I plan to burn paper items. It’s not allowed, but we are fairly hidden and I won’t care. Fine me! Other things like cans, etc. I’d clean as best I can so that it doesn’t attract too many bugs. I guess if it got real bad a trip to the dump would be required. We live ina tiny rural town and garbage collection is private. If they don’t collect, they don’t get paid. Hopefully that will keep them operating, even if I have to switch companies.
In my stockpiling, I am only purchasing true paper plates and cups. No plastic. In this way, it can be burned. The problem is getting rid of items that cannot be recycled, burned or composted. I plan on getting more heavy-duty plastic bags to store these items off in the back of the garage until such time as trash pick-up resumes.
Janet – at 14:33 --- The problem is getting rid of items that cannot be recycled, burned or composted.
No problem! Save up a bazillion aluminum cans (not crushed) and build a house with them. I’ve actually seen stories like this on TV where some ultra-environmentalist did it with aluminum cans and used auto tires! <gr>
We’ve used a burn barrel for years out on the country. I like a big 55 gallon drum, but a 35 gal. galvanized trash can also works fine. Just be sure you don’t burn under overhanging tree limbs or eaves. Make sure to be fire safe. Empty ashes only if 100% cold. Bury ashes or work into earth. No problem.
Remember that if you decide to start a compost pile (and they are wonderful for gardening!), be absolutely certain that you put NO animal products in it! No meat, no grease, no poultry, no bones. The saying goes, “If it didn’t grow out of the ground, it doesn’t go back into the ground”. About the only dairy product that can go into compost piles is washed-out egg shells because they are almost pure calcium…but that may become a moot point!
BB, why can’t you put animal products in the compost? Is there a scientific reason? Just curious. I don’t know anything about composting.
Eeyore – at 10:50
Now that is a GREAT idea!
About composting… you can compost human manure as well as dog or cat manure … just be sure NOT to put it on anything you are going to eat. Best used on ornamental plants amd shrubs. There is an interesting system to create a simple septic system. It is called a Doggy Doolie. This system is for dogs but could be adapted for human waste quite easily. I was thinking I would dig a hole as shown (link to show the doggie dooly system) http://shop.store.yahoo.com/petmarket/dodoundi.html and then place an old trash can with bottom removed and inserted into the hold and put the lid on. The most important thing I think is the ‘digester’ needed to digest the waste (found at PetSmart and PetCo, as well as other pet stores)
While you can compost meat as it will break down, it is also a maggot/fly attractor and not something you want to be in your compost pile. Grease is so hard to break down and bones? are well.. bones! http://www.mda.state.mn.us/composting/compostguide.pdf and http://www.dairybusiness.com/western/Nov01/NovWDBcompost.htm
If you are fortunate enough to have chickens and eggs, you can let the shells dry out, crush and feed back to the chickens.. or you can crush into a fine powder and consume yourself. It is after all, calcium.
I have been recycling for a very long time. I try to can as much as possible as the jars are reusable and I can what we eat. All my paper or burnables are put in a paper bag and then it is almost full, I fold the top down and place it next to the fire place. Makes a great fire starter for logs. In the summer I burn on thrusday’s… my chosen burn day. All larg plactic or non-recyclable items.. I try to leave at the store. It is sort of my way of telling the stores.. this is NOT necessary. What I have left gets put in a ‘commercial’ grade trash bag (purchased from Wal-Mart in the paint department) because it is a much thicker plastic and lasts a long time. I am going to the dump 3 times a year .. someday I hope to only have to go once a a month.
If I am dealing with waste from a sick person.. I will burn it.
I just ordered a manual can crusher and my plan is to crush and store cans under the house until the threat is over. I don’t want to advertise our preparedness by having a bunch of cans in the trash in the alley.
Sounds like a fly traps might be in order. During the Korean War my father raised chickens and rabbits (in Redondo Beach CA, try that nowadays) and had a Big Stinky to catch the flies. A gallon jar with some rotting meat in the bottom and a one-way valve on top to let the flies in. IIRC, he was happy enough with the results. When full, bury the gallon of flies and start over.
ricewiki – at 01:45 --- Animal byproducts are not considered organic. In other words, they don’t decompose in the same way as plant material. Meat will attract flies and maggots, other critters, etc. The fat won’t break down and will cause the rest of your compost pile to become cooler than necessary to internally heat up to the proper temps for degradation.
In general, the rule of thumb for a compost pile is this: if it grows in the ground, compost it. If it walks, swims, or flys, toss it out.
If you have egg shells, you can wash those out and put them in the compost pile also. Along with what ImaGardner mentioned above, the calcium is a great additive to your tomatoe plants.
ok thanks, that makes sense…
Don’t forget the flys!!! If there is no garbage collection, garbage will collect in streets and back yards. You are going to want to make sure you have screens, fly traps, etc. I don’t recommend sprays in the house, as you will be breathing in those chemicals for quite some time.
I don’t think I’d be in such a hurry to burn those paper products. If the crisis is short in duration, you won’t need to, and if it’s long, were are you gonna get more paper?
In general, use durable rather than disposable goods, and compost.
Re: flies
Did anyone watch the Texas Ranch House series on PBS? The ranchers had HUGE DISGUSTING fly problems in their dwelling and food preparation areas because they didn’t keep relocating the animal manure and garbage to places further away from their home (they were living with 1867 technology so they didn’t have aluminum screen for their windows & doors although they might have gotten away with tacking up some cheesecloth or netting over the windows). That and they got lazy about promptly cleaning food preparation messes --- EWWWW!
The take-home lesson from this will be to dump your trash (or manure) well away from your dwelling and to keep your food preparation items as clean as possible. Also if you keep livestock (like cows, pigs, sheep, horses, etc), try not to let it hang out too close to the house area so that flies are not attracted to the house by way of their attraction to the animals and their manure
BTW out here on our farmette in rural VA, I have placed containers of lavender plants near the doors that lead you into the house (i.e. front door, back door, kitchen door, door to walk-out basement, flanking the garage door, etc) to keep the number of flies down, especially the curious ones that want to come into the house and feast on human and pet food. Flies apparently do not like the smell of lavender and don’t hang out near our doors as much. Therefore you could plant lavender in containers and in the ground near doors. Lavender likes more sun than shade and is a perenial (i.e. it will come back year after year).
If you put out your garbage, you are telling everyone you have supplies.
Food for thought. No pun intended.
Old thread - Closed to increase Forum speed.