I love the ideal of Zero Waste. Wherever possible I have always tried to mend and re-use. I also save a lot of random junk for the day it 'comes in handy'. The odd hinge and bolt I have in a jam jar has come to save the day in random emergencies!
I try to avoid putting much into my general waste bin if I can help it.
Recycling bins, recycling banks and recycling centres are all great places to deposit your unwanted stuff.
But not everything that is processed for recycling ends up being recycled. Did you know, that once processed, a lot of plastic and cardboard goes into massive storage facilities and awaits somebody to buy it in order to be recycled into new products.
I happen to collect quite a lot of cardboard when I receive deliveries, and I have always keenly recycled, but I recently discovered that I can compost most of it!
I do have a small compost heap in my small garden (in the back corner of below photo), and compost is valuable when you are a keen vegetable grower like me. You can read more about how I built my small vegetable plot another time.
My 100% Recycled Greetings Cards can be recycled again, but have you ever thought of composting them?
Simply tear the cardboard you want to compost into small chunks. Remove any plastic, tape and staples, and make sure the card is not waxy or glossy. You can also use shredded paper and newspapers.
I usually collect a small container full and then put it outside.
Then, if it rains, great, if not I pour some water out of my water butt onto the card and push it around to make a cardboardy soup. Then I leave for a couple of days to let it start to break up.
An ideal compost heap should have a good mix of ‘green’ and ‘brown’ ingredients.
Cardboard falls into the 'brown' category along with wood chippings, fallen leaves, straw and chopped up woody shrubs.
The 'green' category consists of grass clippings, veg scraps (being vegan we have an abundant constant supply of veggies), coffee grounds and green plant trimmings.
Once my cardboard soup is ready, I layer it over the latest portion of veggie scraps. Like building a smelly compost lasagne!
Every few months I give everything a turn over and mix through. Unfortunately I have a small space and only one compost heap, so once a year I dig out the whole thing, take the good stuff from the bottom third and fill it back in with the newer materials.
I like the idea that all those old cardboard boxes will one day become the veg on my plate... fascinating!