No garbage pickup in Jackson? Here are 8 ways to minimize household waste
Jacksonians know how to weather storms and other adverse conditions — tornadoes, high crime rates, water and sewage overflow among them.
There's another storm brewing as city leaders have failed again to sign a contract for garbage pickup. Without a contract, it could be weeks or even months before household waste removal is restored.
In the meantime, here are a few things you can do to keep the mountain of trash from piling up.
Shop smart
Buy in bulk with as little packaging as possible. Avoid single-serve meals and beverages. Keep reusable bags in your vehicle to avoid the dozens of plastic grocery bags that can pile up each week. Buy products that come in recyclable materials. Only buy what you need. Take inventory before you go to the store and make a shopping list to avoid purchasing unnecessary items.
While Jackson does not have a curbside recycling program, companies like EnvironMentality offer curbside pickup for a fee.
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Compost
Keep rotting food from smelling up city streets by learning how to compost fruit and vegetable waste, coffee grounds and other non-meat and non-dairy foods. Composting enriches the soil in your garden, too, so it's a double-win. Meat and dairy products are compostable, but the decomposition rate is slower and the smell can attract hoards of unwanted insects. The exception is eggshells, a rich source of calcium and other nutrients.
Repurpose materials
If you are an Amazon Prime shopper or use other mail services to buy food and household products, find ways to repurpose boxes and packing materials.
Order smaller portions when dining out
Many restaurant meals are served in above-average portions. Consider sharing an entrée with a friend or ordering an appetizer instead of an entrée when you can to avoid taking home Styrofoam packaging, which can quickly fill up garbage cans.
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Meal planning
Prepare multiple servings of your favorite dishes and freeze in reusable containers for future use.
Go paperless
Most companies that send you a monthly bill can send you the same information in an email or post it to your account online. You can also opt out of receiving tons of junk mail. The Federal Trade Commission has a list of resources to stop getting unwanted mail at consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-stop-junk-mail.
Ditch the disposables
Use plastic containers instead of single-use zippered bags for food storage. Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels. Use bar soap or buy large refill-size liquid soap for your containers.
Use cloth diapers
Disposable diapers take up a lot of room in garbage cans, and they don't smell nice at all. There are a variety of easy-to-use cloth diaper options that are a big improvement over the ones your parents and grandparents used. You can also find flushable liners for easier cleaning.
What are your waste-saving lideas? Let me know. Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: 8 things to reduce household waste as Jackson garbage fight goes on
