What Can I Do With My Leaves And Sticks?

Fall is here! Fireplaces and sweater season has finally approached! But with the fun of the season comes the abundance of debris in your yard. While it might look great for a few weeks, dragging around a rake every Sunday afternoon is less than pleasing. So what can be done with all of this debris during the fall? Well, before tossing it in bags and out to the curb, think about how you may be able to reuse it at home.



Firewood

Sticks and leaves are great for your fireplace.   Instead of throwing money away on tons of chopped wood, branches and sticks can be great fire-starters. Allow them to dry out and throw them in the firepit with a few piles of leaves! No more cold nights! Plus, who doesn't love the crackling of a fire?!

Fire starter logs 

Grab a ton of those leaves and toss them into a bucket. Fill the bucket up with your leaves and paper and then add water. With another bucket the same size, insert it as if you were stacking them for storage. By pressing down on the top bucket, you'll begin packing down the leaves into a big puck. While this happens, the water will drain out from the top (tilting it to allow water to flow may help). Allow this to completely dry and then break apart as needed. Great DIY fire starters!

Compost

Composting is a great way to reuse this material for your own home. In a short amount of time, these materials can be broken down into nutrient rich soil to aid in extending the life of your plants. The best part about it, is that it's completely free! Talk about a bargain.

For all of your other recycling needs, make sure you give City Carting a call! We've been in business for years, offering our service to over 11,000 independent clients. Contact us today and see why City Carting makes the difference you need.

3 Ways To Improve Your Waste At Home

Waste management is something that collectively, everyone must work on. Our planet is ours to preserve, and we must do what we can to allow it (and us) to prosper. Arguably, one of the most important places to start is at your home. Following these effective waste management tips can decrease your own footprint, and provide lasting home benefits!

Composting

Food waste shouldn’t always go in the trash. Effective breakdown of food scraps can always be reused. Combine your food waste and outside brush into a pile and allow it to break down. Not only will this reduce your waste, but it will provide vitamin-rich soil for your home when you need it!

Recycling

One of the best ways to improve your waste management skills is to separate your recyclables from your typical garbage. Most of your plastics and cans can be reused in some way or another, and it benefits the environment to send them to a place where they’ll be sorted and dealt with responsibly. Garbage collection services (hey, that’s us!) usually offer this type of service for curbside pickup!

Other methods include incineration for a smaller amount of waste, or turning to a service that takes care for your waste for you. No matter the method, it’s critical that as a community we are mindful of our waste, and put our best foot forward in terms of preserving a healthy planet.

Providing homes and businesses with effective waste management is a service that City Carting & Recycling has been doing for over 35 years. If you’re looking for dumpster rental or services, give us a call at (888) 413-3344 to request a free quote, or visit us on our website! For more information, tips and tricks, make sure to Like our Facebook page!

Thinking About Your Waste

To many, garbage is but a thing of the past. Its tossed in a pail, dragged to the curb, and never seen again. But when you're throwing certain things away without thinking of it, you're really losing out on possible materials that have many different applications. After all, sustainability is extremely important in today's society and it begins with those who waste the most -- us. Here are a few things to take note of when throwing out your garbage. 

Food has more uses

Before throwing out that extra head of lettuce or extra pieces of peppers from taco night, think about what else you can do with it. Creating a compost pile out of your uneaten food can provide you with an optimal amount of nutrient rich soil for years to come. Not only is it free, but it's much healthier for your plants and shrubbery. Additionally, it decreases the amount of trash thrown out each week. That's less work for everyone! 

Recyclables 

Do you know how many bottles of water you go through per week? If you're not reusing the bottles, chances are they're ending up in a bin. Consider investing in something a bit more sustainable. Reusable water bottles are great for this, and can even filter out particles before it gets to your mouth. Rao water is extremely clean these days, so taste shouldn't be an issue. If that's not your thing, try reusing the bottle you opened this morning. If you're like many, that recycling bin fills up pretty quickly. 

When your waste makes its way to the curb , you'll need someone to haul it away. With over 11,000 happy customers to date, City Carting is your go to waste management service, whether you're residential or commercial. We've got you covered!

Fun Recycling Projects At Home

It’s true that some of your garbage can be reused, but we bet there are a few fun projects you haven’t thought of. With the amount of waste that comes out of a home per week, it might be a good idea to look into other ways of using these items as a sustainable, recyclable project. They say that one man’s trash is another one’s treasure, but what if you could make your trash your own treasure?

Plastic Bottles

Old milk cartons can be used to feed birds! Cut a sizeable hole in the side and poke a hole through the cap. Attach some string to the top and fill the carton with bird seed -- not only have you saved yourself some cash, but the birds can eat too! The same goes with the bottom of plastic bottles. By carefully cutting the bottom and sanding the edge smooth, you can create a tiered jewelry holder, Simply poke a hole in the middle and glue them in place, allowing a little bit of room between each layer for storage!

Old Metal

What about that old dining set? No use anymore? For the intermediate DIY project seekers, you can turn these into gorgeous hooks for coats and sweaters! Bend them into a hook shape, and drill a small hole in the metal. Attach it to the wall and you have a hook! BONUS: You can also twist and bend fork prongs for extra flair.

Old Cans

Aluminum cans are great! With sharp edged they can cut almost anything -- perfect for cookie cutters! Cut the can and carefully lead only the siding left to work with. By cutting the can horizontally into ½’ thick pieces, you can then bend and glue them together in the shape of your choice! They’ll be durable enough to cut through dough, be cleaned, and used for another project!

Not everything has to go to waste, but if you are thinking about throwing your items away, please do it responsibly. City Carting and Recycling proudly hauls away your waste in both commercial and residential applications -- we’d love to help rid your home of waste as well.