Managing Household Waste On An Acreage
When living in a town or city, a person tends to stop thinking about garbage the minute the cart is set at the end of the driveway on Thursday morning (or whichever morning you happen to be assigned). Is this a luxury only afforded to city-dwellers? What do I do with my household waste if I live outside of city limits? Many communities, like Humboldt, Saskatchewan, offer garbage pickup, but residents are charged on a per bag basis – so it is well worth our while to cut back on garbage where ever possible. The good news is that there are free services and options available to reduce the amount of waste that has to be hauled to our regional landfill.
REACT Waste Management offers garbage pick up services in our region, both within and outside of Humboldt. For those living at Prairie View Properties, there will be an advantage compared to other rural residents, as this collection of homeowners can negotiate a group pickup contract. REACT will provide either curbside pickup or central large bin emptying, depending upon the choice of the group of homeowners and their budget. There are also options for construction waste bins. It will still be very worthwhile to cut back on garbage whenever possible. Here’s how:
Recycling: REACT also provides a recycling depot in Humboldt, where you can bring many pieces that reduce your overall garbage. The recycling does not need to be sorted and includes a long list of items. I can happily report that our family actually sends more to the recycle bins than the landfill – is this the new norm? In Saskatchewan, there are also types of cans and bottles which can be turned in for a refund when emptied.
Composting: What is composting? It is defined as a mixture of decaying organic matter, used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients. Simply put, you can pile up your household and yard plant waste in a bin outside and over time it will break down into beautiful organic matter. If you have never composted, there are great resources available to teach you. Videos, Articles and Composter Building Plans are all easily available to provide guidance and help you avoid making mistakes others have made before you. A few composting rules of thumb:
• plant waste ONLY!!! Meats and fats will decay but they STINK – which is not neighbour friendly. The only exception is adding crushed egg shells to compost, which it turn, will provide calcium for growing plants when the composted soil is used.
• build a composter that prevents rodents from getting in
• don’t forget to turn the pile every few months – the resulting nutrient rich soil is “black gold” for your garden or newly landscaped yard!
Electronics: Last, but not least are electronics. Our families are “wearing out” and updating technology all the time! This can be an issue if there is no safe place to bring old electronics, but thankfully, this is a service provided by SARCAN in Humboldt.
Waste management services on an acreage at Prairie View Properties may be slightly different than in a city or town, but are still convenient – a pleasant surprise!