Are My Recycling Habits Hurting More Than Helping?

In today’s day and age, everyone is trying to make a more conscious effort when they’re

throwing things out. We’re using canvas bags at the grocery store, reusing mugs and

bottles, and recycling our goods at a larger rate! But are some of your habits doing worse

damage than others? And are some of the fixes not actually helping? In some cases, it just

might be. We’ve compiled a short list of things that might not be as beneficial as you may

think, and may not be worth the extra effort. Let’s take a look.

Tote Bags

While many people are ditching plastic bags at checkout, tote bags have become somewhat

of the new norm in terms of what’s protecting all of your newly bought produce and ice cream.

But studies have now shown that the footprint in

order to produce AND distribute specific types of bags is actually larger than it is for a plastic

bag.

It’s important to understand that in order to make these bags useful, they need to be used, in

some cases, 300+ times before they become less wasteful than a plastic bag.

High Volume Stores

Some stores, while promoting recycling on the outside, are also focused on the

intake of a ton of product that comes packaged, wrapped, and requires trucks to get it

there. The fact that there may be a lack of plastic bags at checkout doesn’t make up for

the rest of the process that involved getting your product on the shelf. To make sure you’re

helping with these initiatives, check with your local stores to see what they’re doing about

reducing packaging and travel pollution associated with their offerings. The answers you

get might just lead to a big change!

Of course, your own waste and recycling habits are also a focal point here, and it’s imperative

that you begin your process by seeing how you can improve at home, and move forward

from there.

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!

Prepping For Colder Weather & Garbage

With the weather finally beginning to somewhat cool down on the east coast,

it’s beginning to unfortunately also think about what happens as the temperatures

affect your waste, and how you can prepare for the changes. While it’s never anything

too crazy to think about, there are definitive cues that you should look out for in order

to keep your waste in the trashcan, and optimize it for pickup and disposal!

Keep it Locked

As we’ve stated prior, it’s important to always cover up your garbage with lids and bungee

cords if possible. As the temperatures begin dropping, animals and smaller critters

understand that a winter coat is necessary to survive during the colder seasons. They’ll

be looking for food to store and other means in which they can bulk up. This of course

means the leftover food you toss away is their treasure. Prevent big messes by keeping

a tight lid on your garbage and deter critters elsewhere!

Observe Any Delays In Collection

While we’re not going to mention the word associated with colder months that rhymes

with ‘bow’, it’s important to understand that cold weather precipitation can occur as early

as October and should be prepared for. In the event of any type of large storm or

catastrophic event, your collection schedule will surely be delayed and/or moved around.

It’s best to check with your garbage collection company regularly in order to adapt to any

changes and avoid tossing things out too early.

Know What You Can’t Throw Out

In some cases, raking the leaves and putting it out with your normal garbage is a big

no-no. To combat this, make sure your collection company is actually taking this type

of waste, instead of it having to be delivered to an area within the city. If not, your

collection company is not required to haul it off and may leave it at the curb.

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!

Must Know Garage Cleaning Tips

When it comes time to clean out the garage, among all of the sighs and groans, you know

deep down that the end result will be well worth the effort. Old toys and boxes, items that

are no longer in use -- these are just a few of the things that deserve to be thrown out or reused

as you free up some space in your extra room. But in order to get after this project and

complete it effectively, it’s important to go in with a plan, and know the best tips for cleaning

out your garage.

Multiple Garbage Bags

We know that cleaning out the garage can be a drag, but there’s so much to be rummaged

through that it’s becoming necessary to separate things as they go in the trash. This is a

great opportunity for you to sort through each piece of trash and throw it into its

corresponding garbage can. This allows you to know what type of waste you have, and

makes it exceptionally easy for another company

Shelving & Cabinets

Another way to save space and create more in your garage is to build or buy shelving

that helps you keep things off of the ground and in the way. This will allow you to store

rarely needed items up top and the more frequently used items a bit lower. This eventually

allows people to become less prone to throwing things around and creating a mess

because there’s more incentive to keep the area waste-free and organized.

Put Garbage Cans In

For many, there isn’t a place to put anything after it’s reached its last use while in the

garage. This is why many things end up becoming left in there, piled up, and forgotten

about. To fight this issue, make sure you put a garbage can in the garage (even if it’s

small) so that old items can get immediately thrown away and taken out to the trash as

they reach the end of their usage cycle.

Of course, it’s also advisable to have a reputable waste company come and haul

everything away as it’s thrown out to reduce overall clutter in your home!

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!

Top 3 Things You Should Be Recycling

Recycling is a key to today’s society. Without the efforts put forth by recycling, we’d have

waste piling up in landfills even more than before! This is why, no matter the product, it’s

always worth seeing if it can be recycled -- not only to help our waste issues, but to combat

overutilization of materials that we already have extra of. Below are a few of the top things

you should be recycling at home that can prove to save our environment.

Plastic

Obviously one of the biggest contributors to our waste is the unnecessary use of plastic in

everyday life. This comes from containers to hold food, water bottles, packaging and more.

As we consume more, we use more, and a ton of it goes unrecycled, which leaves the

process to become a cycle of constantly needing new materials when old pieces can be

broken down and reused. Combat this by aggregating all of your plastic in one area and

recycling it in bulk so that it’s easy to take in one load rather than more frequent, smaller

ones.

Paper

Another large contributor comes from paper, which is something we write on, get mail

from, and use for other purposes. Instead of buying huge packs of paper plates, there

are certainly sustainable means in which you can make the most out of other materials,

and save paper. Instead of throwing these items right in the trash, recycle them individually

as paper so they don’t become contaminated with other liquids and can be reused.

Styrofoam

One of the worst things taking up space is styrofoam, as it’s breakdown time is among the

longest of any material. With products that contain styrofoam, it’s easy to want to just toss it

away since there’s no use, however finding a way to use it can benefit both you and the

environment at the same time. Instead of tossing this material in the garbage, contact your

local waste company to see how you can combat pollution and get rid of this item safely!

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!

New To CT Homeowner Checklist

Moving to CT for the first time? Congratulations! Now that you’ve picked a great state to

live in, it’s time to begin thinking about the other moving parts that come along with being

a homeowner. Before getting settled in your house, it’s important to remember a few things,

and check them off of your list before you forget. Below are just a few of the things to remember

now that you’re a new homeowner in Connecticut!

Town Events

To learn about what’s going on in your town, it’s sometimes important to learn when there are

going to be town hall events, forums, and discussions about what’s going on in your community.

Depending on your location, mark these days down in your calendar in order to be able to

attend and not forget about them! This helps you understand what is happening in your

community and how you can become more involved.

Figure Out Your Garbage

Garbage collection is usually always different when it comes to each town. This is why it’s

important to not only enlist a company you can trust to get the job done correctly, but one

that will be both reliable, and on a schedule that you can work with in order to be there

when necessary.

Of course, this is just a small list of the things you may need to do at home, but every

process is different! What’s most important is to learn your surroundings, make friends

with the neighbors, and enjoy your new life at home!

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!

Why Are Animals Getting Into My Garbage?

Walking out to your garbage spilled across the driveway is a less than ideal

morning -- especially knowing that this is an indicator of something getting into the trash.

Not only can this be a nuisance to clean up, but it can also turn into a recurring problem.

Before grabbing your (humane!) animal traps, first assess what the problem is and how

you can prevent it from happening in the first place.

Odors

The odor from food, even if it’s gone bad, can be a sweet scent for animals. Seeing as

some of their bodies are also designed differently than us, how they consume their food

doesn’t affect their digestion. This is why that old chicken or extra steak is a gourmet meal

for them. To combat this, freeze your meats in the freezer. And throw them away the

night before pickup! Frozen meat is much harder to smell and it likely won’t defrost before

the truck picks it up.

Garbage Lids

Another thing to consider is how your critters are making their way into the garbage.

For humans, having thumbs is easy, and it also enables raccoons to get into your garbage

as well -- even with lids! To combat both at the same time, take bungee cords and strap

them overtop the lids to add an extra layer of security.

It’s Left Out Too Long

Similar to the first reason, animals have a keen sense of smell, and can certainly tell when

there’s a tasty treat nearby. The longer you let old garbage sit and permeate, the easier it

is for animals to detect it, and make their way over. Even if you can’t, there’s a good chance

they CAN smell it!

Efficient garbage removal is something necessary in order to keep your home operating as

it should, while also maintaining a clean area. If you’re ready to improve this in your own

home, make sure you’re enlisting the help of a company who can help easily and seamlessly!

Green Improvements You Can Make At Home

The concept of going green is always present in the minds of homeowners, however the

action of doing it sometimes isn’t. By the middle of the year, resolutions that haven’t been

met do sometimes fall between the cracks, however creating a greener planet should always

be a goal. Below are a few ways you can do that at home, at very low costs!

Less Plastic

When you’re at the grocery store, consider 86’ing the idea of using a ton of plastic bags to

bring everything home. It might seem like a small change, but 10-12 bags on average is a

lot of plastic that ends up getting thrown out. As an alternative, try using a canvas bag or

something similar, which has more than one use.

Ditch Aerosol

Whether it’s a cleaning product or a body spray, cans that are loaded with aerosol can be

harmful to breathe, as well as for the environment. As it’s been noted, the air surrounding

our planet is getting worse and worse, while protective layers are becoming thinner as more
\pollutants enter the area. Try traditional spray bottles instead for a better result.

Collect Water

Instead of using water and racking up the bill every time you need some, consider methods

in which you can reuse old water! Place a bucket inside the shower or collect rainwater and

use it for something else! This can be great for washing your cars, doing a load of laundry,

watering the plants and more! The opportunities are seemingly endless and can not only have

a positive impact on your life and the earth, but your wallet benefits as well.

While you’re focusing on some of these tactics this summer, also make sure you’re doing what

you can to improve your waste strategy. As the temperature increases, foul odors and animals

will be out to grab last night’s trash from your bins. Combat this by enlisting the help of a waste company that cares!