Living with a "green" roomate?

Question

My new roommate is all about recycling and saving the environment. I've never been this way, but told her I would support her and do what I can.

I'm a very clean person and the area she designated as a recycling holding spot looks horrible and occasionally smells. We have an appartment so we are strapped for space but I was going to buy her something to make the recycling cleaner, organized, and look better.

Do any of you have a suggestion as to something I can use that is discreet and will keep things we recycle organized and not visually unappealing? (Keep in mind I'm a college student so I don't have a lot of money) We also have a balcony that we can put it on if necessary.

We recycle newspapers, tin, plastics, and paper (if it matters) and probably more that I don't realize and we already have a spot for cans so that isn't something we need a spot for.

Thanks guys

Answer 1

to get rid of the smell.  Are you rinsing the recycleables?  If not then start, this should help with the smell.  Containers, conshaimers, constaimshers: use a cardboard box with a garbage bag, paint the box-if you're feeling decorative.

Answer 2

I always rinse potentially stinky containers like milk jugs, beer cans, etc before throwing them in the bin.  Also rinse bottles/cans of sweet, sugary stuff like soda or juice to keep from attracting ants or other critters.  It probably seems like an inconvenience at first, but once you get in the habit of giving that bottle a quick swish before pitching it, you won't even notice it.

Answer 3

A square, plastic bin with a lid would be the best thing---IF you could find such a thing.  It'd be good so you could stand cardboard up along its back inside, and place cans in plastic grocery bags in front.  Take aluminum to a metals buyer (get a little something for your trouble). For the sake of room in the recycling bin, I rinse and crush my aluminum cans as I empty each one.  Paper can be stacked on the lid of the bin (it is the least likely to smell). Some stores have plastic recycling programs, so you can take used grocery bags back to them.  I tear out plastic windows in envelopes and shred my mail (oh, and take out staples too!). I use the shredded paper to mulch my garden.  I cover it if enough grass clippings are available after mowing the yard.

If you do recycle paper by shredding and mulching with it, be sure not to try to do too much shredding at a time. Otherwise you'll jam and ruin your paper shredder (unless it is extra heavy duty). I shred a page at a time, and over time, I get rid of it. I used to pay $60/ month for trash pick up. Now I don't even put out trash, because the recycling center is just a mile away, and I no longer put out trash. It all gets recycled.

If you rinse all your cans and plastic containers, you should have no problem with odors.

Answer 4

Hi- It may be worth contacting Wolverhampton Council via their City Direct number (01902 551155) and asking for some recycling boxes for paper, tins and glass.  

Regards,

Catherine

Answer 5

When I was in college my roommate and I used trash cans with the swinging lid with trash bags, the lid kept the smells to a minimal and because we had everything in trash bags it was easy to take the stuff out when recycling day came.

Another suggestion would be having those stackable toy crates as recycle bins. They're great when you don't have a lot of space to begin with. Here's an example:

http://www.playhousedesigns.com/toybins....

There's definately cheaper ones at a local store or something and another suggestion is that you should decorate them, put labels on the containers and stuff.

hope this helps! :)

Answer 6

This a a quick and easy fix. You could go online and buy some of those pricey recycling bins or you could just buy some trash bins at a local store and print or draw recycling signs to label them. I'm not sure why they smell though. Maybe you should keep all the plastics and tin outside that should solve your problem. But this is a really good thing your doing buy recycling.

Answer 7

I personally like plastic bins. They have lids that take care of odors and a table cloth over the top gives the appearance of a table indoors or out.