My significant other and I have begun to look around our community and the surrounding areas. We were shocked at the waste we have been seeing.

Every week we would find usable, quality, perfectly functional items being disgarded by friends and neighbors. This caused us to take a broader look at the businesses around our area and we found the same things happening there.

We are not poor people but the amount of the waste was eating at us. It became a major topic in our home. So after much planning, we decided to start taking action.

We started small. Asking friends that we knew to start saving cans and we would pick them up once a week. Soda cans, and food cans. We were pleased at the amount of cooperation we received. Seems everyone would like to recycle but they don’t want to A) store a bunch of cans and B) be bothered to go to the recycling station or scrap yard. This has been a nice little pay off as soda cans are $.35 per lb. and steel cans also bring something. We have lined up covered trash cans (with wholes in the bottoms for drainage) in back of our shed. We rinse the cans and smash them then put them in the cans. When it is time to transport to the scrap yard, we only have to load the trashcans. No messy plastic bags.

Next we learned the “big item” trash days for the different communities around our area. We set up a schedule and would hop in the truck and check out these areas on the scheduled days. We have gotten working lawnmowers, flowerpots, strollers, computers (people remove your hard drives before throwing out computers!), furniture, dishes, stereos, and much more all in working, functional order, but it isn’t always the case.

We have branched out from there. We now bring home broken items as well. We both repair them and give them to someone we know needs them, or we break them down for recycling.

Since we have begun to break things down for recycling, we have been amazed to find out just how much of an item is reusable.

We keep large plastic tubs in our work shed. Every time we go out and collect anything to be recycled, it is immediately broken down, cut, or flattened if possible, and put in the corresponding labeled bin. This keeps our work area clean for other things and also eliminates pests.

There has been a lot of illegal dumping on “our route”. Not to mention some burglary. So we choose to let the businesses know we come. Some don’t want you on their property and that is why it is always better to ask. No one needs to go to jail over recycling. There are also recycling dumpsters. Stay away from those also. If you get caught messing with them, it is jail and they will take your car and you may not get it back. So remember, it is always better to let the businesses know you are there, when you plan on being there, who you are, ect. It is common curiously and gives them the option if they even want you on their property. Plus if they have your information, and something does happen, you maybe less of a suspect. Maybe. I am not sure of the laws on this and do not pretend to know. I just think it is always better to ask permission. I would want to know who was on my property.

There are a lot of homeless people here because it is Florida and it never gets really cold so they tend to migrate here. Some items we find, we clean and take to them. Clothes, shoes, food, pots and pans, whatever we think they can use. I have also begun to order free samples of shampoo and other toiletries to give out. Those are the hardest items to find, but I keep trying. The number of homeless has sky rocketed here lately. Including children.

We believe in giving back to our community. Besides, you never know when you may be on the receiving end!

 Before you throw an item out, rethink it. Try to figure out if someone you know could use it. Can it go to a charity? Can it go to a non profit community center? If it is clothing, do you know someone that collects buttons, or makes quilts for the homeless? Almost anything can be used for more than one purpose. Be creative!