How to Dispose of Trash
According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, young, ignorant and apathetic people are more likely to litter, while people who have a strong sense of community are most likely to dispose of trash properly. Some areas are more prone to littering problems due to a lack of public awareness regarding the issues and because there are not enough proper receptacles available to residents. Trash disposal is a major issue in most towns and cities, which is why regular trash collection is a taxpayer funded service and additional services are available to help you properly dispose of your unwanted things. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Standard Disposal at Home
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Designate three separate trash cans---one for regular trash, another for bottles and cans, and another for paper trash. Purchase different colored plastic cans to collect each type of item. These cans are sometimes offered for free by your town.
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2
Call your town administrative office or recycling center to find out the trash disposal and recycling days for each type of trash you are collecting.
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3
Write down trash collection dates on a calendar or dry-erase calendar board in your kitchen, pantry, garage or another area of your home that you visit regularly.
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4
Place your color-coordinated trash cans out to the street on each specific trash day.
Alternative Options
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Place your unwanted items on Freecycle.org. On this site you will be able to post each item that you want to dispose of on a local forum for free. Interested parties will be able to call or email you to arrange pickup. Move the items to the street and place an ad that gives the address where it can be found as an alternative to making specific arrangements.
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6
Hold a free or bargain basement garage sale to dispose of your unwanted items.
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7
Collect your old clothes in a large garbage bag and deposit them into a local community clothing drop-off bin to benefit the less fortunate.
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8
Call 1-800-GOT-JUNK and schedule a pick-up to have your trash removed. This includes large furniture pieces, TVs, appliances, bags of weeds from your garden, and bags of standard trash. This company charges by the volume of junk that you need removed.
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Bring bottles and cans to a local redemption center if you live in a "bottle bill" state. The redemption center will pay you cash for this trash. Visit bottlebill.org to see if your state allows you to be paid for returned bottles.
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Tips & Warnings
When donating clothing, read the side of each clothing drop bin to see exactly where the donations will be distributed. Some bins are just run by businesses who seek to sell the used clothing for a profit.
