Down and Dirty

Let’s talk dirt. There are a couple of super simple things you can do to reduce the grime and garbage in your house. First, make sure to remove your shoes when you come through your front door. Toxins like pesticides and germs get tracked throughout your home if you’re walking around after meandering through town.

Now, onto your garbage. Does it seem like you’re taking out the trash every day? Ironically, a lot of what you probably toss into the pail—paper towels, food scraps and dirt and dust—is biodegradable, but not so much when it’s headed for the landfill in a plastic bag. To reduce your waste—literally—use biodegradable garbage bags and think about purchasing or setting up a composter. These come in different sizes, and there’s even a small one you can keep on your kitchen counter. A composter takes all your organic waste products (banana peels, paper products, eggshells and lots more) and allows them to biodegrade into what many call “black gold,” rich soil you can then use in your garden. Even if you’re not blessed with a yard or garden, you can use compost on your indoor plants, or even give it away or sell it. It’s still worthwhile to think that what you create isn’t creating more landfill waste.

You can find composters that range in size and price on web sites like Naturemill.com or Gaiam.com. To purchase biodegradable garbage bags made with corn byproducts, visit Biobagusa.com.