Recycle extra...

It's strange how this situation has completely changed how I think about recycling. I've always done the recycling thing, sticking this, that and the other in the appropriate official bin, but now I'm taking the next step and not relying on the local authority to do the job for me. I'm taking responsibility for myself (well, necessity is the mother of invention). If I can use it then I will keep it and my bin capacity is down by at least 50% (apart from the wine bottle bin that is). It isn't always comfortable, (I really don't like emptying cat litter liners into a black bag, washing them off with the hose, and then hanging them up outside to dry on a line made out of a black plastic strip I rescued from a packing crate) but I've made a bag of 12 bin liners last almost a fortnight and our cat seems to piss and shit quite a lot (a three bags a day kinda moggie). That's a reduction of 80%! When the litter runs out then it's dry leaves or shredded cardboard (I'm keeping my cardboard just in case), I'll do almost anything to save me going shopping and mixing with a load of potential spreaders.

Any plastic container is now a seedling tray. Burgers, mince, chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, have all become repositories for my seeds (and I have many, many seeds). Two-litre water bottles have become wall-planters for strawberries. I'm keeping empty compost bags, just in case I run out of planters (which I will). Large rusty screws are now hanging basket brackets, and redundant recycling bins (we were given new fancy stacking ones with a wheelie trolley - which I also use to port heavy sacks of compost from my car down to the bottom end of the garden) are now drilled and growing potatoes. 

It's all very utilitarian and it's all good and it's so much better in so many ways.

Compost has become like gold, so I fill the bottom quarter of my planters with sweepings and dead leaves, then another layer of homemade compost from my compost bin, and then the top half with the rich expensive compost I bought before lockdown. Eggshells, vegetable trimmings, potatoes peelings, are all welcome as fillers. I've even kept the polystyrene which encased the freezer, just in case if I get desperate for a tub bottom filler (Ooeerrr Missus - I'd prefer not to use it though).

Everything is worth considering for re-use. Beer can ring pulls have become useful washers, rusty screws and nails are used instead of neglected, old wormy wood is no longer burnt in the chimeniere as long as it's sturdy enough to do the job. It seems this horrible virus is making me realise just how wasteful I've been. In the kitchen nothing is thrown away, it's either eaten or composted or fed to the birds and there is much menu planning, none of this 'what do I fancy?' malarky any more. It's all about what we need to use up.

This 'new way' is making me feel good and it's cutting down on my dangerous and terrifying visits to town, this is making me feel 'holier than thou', this is fun. It's bloody tiring being aware of waste to this extent (I'm almost scared to throw anything away). I'm hoping that after this ends (if it all ends) my attitude won't change. But I'm a lazy bugger and washing cat litter bags really is a pain. It might be keeping me alive though, who knows? Stay in and do what I do - I'm smart - although cat shit really stinks.

One thought remains... Toilet paper. 😉