#Trash Bags Cheap Recycle Garbage Bag

[tnedustbin7]

Trash Bags Cheap Recycle Garbage Bag

[brissy-bins]

WHY HIRING A SKIP BIN IS IMPORTANT

There will always be trash to dispose of whether you do a major house cleaning, remodel, or construct anything from scratch.

Removing this trash the traditional way (by bagging it, putting it into the truck, and driving it to the trash) is possible, but it's a costly, time-consuming, and environmentally damaging option. A solution exists, thank goodness.

Using a skip bin hiring service in Brisbane is a fast, cheap, and environmentally friendly way to get rid of your trash.

Brissy Bins is pleased to provide a broad range of skip sizes, from 3 to 12 cubic meters, for your convenience.

It has never been simpler to get rid of trash on your property, thanks to our cutting-edge recycling facilities, lightning-fast delivery and collection times, and unparalleled dedication to customer satisfaction.

Skip rentals from Brissy Bins are the best option for efficiently disposing of trash in Brisbane, regardless of the scale of your job. Let's take a look at five of the most significant advantages:

Don't Waste Your Time

Why spend your most valuable asset, time, on trash pick-up and disposal? Considering the startling quantity of trash that can be generated by even the smallest of undertakings, it's clear that devoting time and effort to hauling trash to the dump is neither a time- or cost-effective strategy.

Waste preparation and sorting, securing an appropriate transportation vehicle, traveling to the disposal, and unloading the rubbish by hand may add hundreds of needless labor hours to the operation.

Obviously, if you're working on a substantial project, you'll have to make many journeys to the tip, wasting precious hours in the process that might be put to greater use elsewhere.

If you need to dispose of a large quantity of trash quickly and efficiently, hiring a skip in Brisbane is your best option.

Depending on the scale of your project, we can provide you with as many skip bins as are required to save you from having to make repeated excursions to the landfill. Put the trash in the skip and schedule a pick-up time; we'll handle the rest.

Boost Your Site's Security

There is a fair possibility that you may be exposed to harmful chemicals throughout the trash disposal process. Materials used in construction may be hazardous to workers' health, including glass, metal, cement, asbestos, nails, screws, and other similar objects.

Since there is no designated area for trash, dangerous materials may be dispersed across the property, putting more people in harm's way.

Hiring a waste bin in Brisbane is a great approach to reduce the risk to people's health. Having a central trash can where hazardous waste may be stored and disposed of reduces the risk of exposure to workers.

The physical strain, the danger of injury, and the amount of time spent in close proximity to heavy, sharp, and/or hazardous chemicals are all substantially reduced when you hire a skip bin service to do the job for you.

Lessen your negative effects on the planet.

Getting rid of trash quickly and cheaply are two of the most well-known advantages of getting a waste bin in Brisbane, Western Australia. How?

Effective garbage collection and disposal is the key. One of our primary goals is to discover new, eco-friendly solutions to get rid of trash.

We are able to recycle up to 80% of all residential green and domestic garbage that passes through our plant thanks to our cutting-edge recycling equipment and tried-and-true sorting procedures.

We feel fortunate to have found a way to preserve Western Australia's natural wonders for the benefit of future generations.

You can trust that our waste management system will handle the disposal of any items in an honest and ecologically friendly manner.

Delight in the Convenience

We've already covered how a skip rental in Brisbane may save your trash transportation time, but it's worth emphasizing that the benefits don't stop there.

We're happy to be one of the few garbage management companies that offers a mixed rubbish disposal service, which means you may throw away different types of trash in the same container. Our well-equipped sorting yard allows us to separate your trash by kind before proceeding with the recycling or composting procedure.

Budget carefully

A skip bin may help you save money in Brisbane, which is the last advantage.

If you order a skip from us, we'll bring it to you and then come get it again at a time that's convenient for you, saving you the cost of renting a truck or buying a trailer.

Hiring a skip bin is unquestionably the best option to dispose of waste during a building or remodeling project. Hiring a skip is clearly preferable to taking trash to the landfill since it is more cost-effective, time-saving, and ecologically beneficial.

Please get in touch if you need to skip bin hire Beenleigh. Contact us now for a free, no-obligation consultation about our trash management and skip rental services and to learn more about how we can simplify your life.

We offer Cheap Skip Bin Hire Brisbane Services

Green Waste Bins Brisbane

Soil Waste Removal Brisbane

Brick and Concrete Waste Removal Brisbane

Heavy Mixed Concrete Waste Skip Bins

Light Mixed C&D

[writersmilex]

Recycled Metal.

Dethklok x  Reader.

Summary : when (Y/n) hits rock bottom. their pals are here to help.

_______________________________________

"wheres (Y/n)? I miss them." Toki wonders. "well ah, Toki, (Y/n) is working hard to sustain themselves. You know they work a minimum wage job after all." Charles explains to Toki. "have you seen 'them lately? She's really workin' themselves to death." Pickles comments, sounding quite worried. "*Riff*ing, economy isch really schucking the schoul outa those minimum wage loschers..." Murderface murmurs, crossing his arms.

"Ja, poors (Y/n) can'ts takes it easy. They lookings like they ares goings to melts aways at any moments." Skwisgaar sighs, fidgeting with his guitar.

There falls a moment of silence before Charles speaks up again. "If it will make you feel better, you can visit them on the right time." Charles suggests. Toki stands up from his seat. "I likes visiting (Y/n). They haves a reals cutes places." he comments. Toki's band-mates seem to agree with that. Nathan also stands up, "Alright let's go to (Y/n) hou- uh... Where do they live?" Nathan cuts himself off. "no worries, i knows wheres they lives." Toki replies.

~~~~

"Whats the *riff*s do you means No ones lives here anymores!" Toki argues with the landlord of (Y/n)'s apartment complex. Getting all up in the poor man's face. "I'm sorry sir, but (Mrs/Mr). (L/n) has been evicted out of that apartment." what the landlord says and it only seems to make Toki angrier. Toki grabs the landlord by his collar. "Why!!" he yells in anger.

"It-It's just that, (Mrs/Mr). (L/n), came late on her rent pay several times. They said that they were unable to pay them, I'm-I'm sorry but i can't make exceptions." the landlord tries to explain. Toki shakes the man roughly. "Hows the *Riff*s dares you evicts (Y/n) outs of theirs*Riffing* house! She don'ts deserves this!" Pickles grabs Toki's shoulder to pull him off of the landlord. "calm down Toki!" The drummer keep hold of his friends shoulders in case he jumps at the landlord again. Toki growls and pulls himself out of Pickles' grip, and calms down.

"Where's (Y/n) now?" Nathan asks the landlord. The landlord shrugs, "They just left with most of her belongings. They really can't be far."

~~~~

"(Y/n)! (Y/n), Wheres ams you!" Toki is running around calling (Y/n)'s name in a panic. Worried for her safety. "C'mon guys, we can't keep standin' here. Let's go look." Pickles  encourages his friends. "like the landlord said, they can't be far." Nathan adds to his friend's statement.

Pickles steps near a bunch of trash can. And nearly trips over something. He tumbles but catches himself just in time. "watch your steps Pickle." Skwisgaar says as he watched Pickles tumble. Pickles looks down to see what he tripped over. "what is this?" he bents down on one knee to pick it up... It's an desk lamp. A very distinctive desk lamp. (Y/n)'s desk lamp.

"(Y/n)?" Pickles calls out, catching the attention of his band-mates . The lid of the can slides off and a head of (h/c) hair emerges out, follow by drooping tired eyes surrounded by bags. "hey Pickles..." they mumble, looking away out of shame. Pickles approaches closer the trash can. "what are you doin' in the garbage can? You don't belong there." his tone sounds genuine, trying to comfort (Y/n) as he witnesses the situation they are in.   "i, uhh... dumped myself, hehe." (Y/n) chuckles weakly and tries to smile, but the smile disappears quickly. "I really hit rock bottom this time... I got fired from my job. I have worked there for 15 years! And i got replaced by two cheap teens!" (Y/n) exclaims and rises out of the trash can. "i go evicted out of my apartment because i couldn't pay rent anymore! I'm homeless!" They start to tear up, sinking back into the trash can.

"(Y/n) ams you okays!" Toki exclaims out loud, rushing up to the trash can. (Y/n) sulks, "no...no i'm not okay Toki." Toki looks at (Y/n) with worry, looking like he's about to cry himself. Nathan walks up to the trash can also. "come on (Y/n). let's get you out of there." He says and holds out his hand for them to take. (Y/n) looks up at him, and slowly grabs onto his hand to climb out of the trash can with his aid and with their most priced belongings in a bag.

Once (Y/n) is out of the can and on the ground. They are emerged in a hug from Toki, he squeezes them tightly. (Y/n) tries to hug him back as best as they can with their arms squeezed to their sides.

"Jeschus chrischt (Y/n). You look terrible." Murderface comments carelessly. His band-mates glare at him in return. "I know, Murderface." (Y/n) replies, leaning against Toki to who's still holding them to keep balance. "Come on guys, let's get (Y/n) to Mordhaus." Nathan announces to his band-mates. His hand on (Y/n)'s back to help them to walk.

~~at Mordhaus~~

(Y/n) has fallen asleep on one of the couches, a well needed sleep told by the bags under their eyes. Pickles drapes a blanket over them so they won't get cold while they finally rest. The drummer stares at (Y/n) with worry present on his expression, lifting his hand to move a strand of hair behind their ear.

"hows is they?" Skwisgaar walks up to the couch, peering down at the sleeping (Y/n). "Well, they're asleep, seemed like they really need it." Pickles answers to Skwisgaar. The guitarist hums in agreement.

"Do you thinks that Offdensen woulds let them stays heres?" Skwisgaar wonders out loud. Pickles looks up at his friend. "why'd you ask that?" He questions with suspension.

"wells They has no wheres elses to go. So... Woulds be sad ifs we justs kicks thems outs on the streets agains." Skwisgaar brings up a good point.

"We can ask Offdensen."

"Ask me what?"

The two musicians jump nearly a full foot in the air at a third voice joining in. "ah, Offdensens." "in the right place at the time." Pickles finishes Skwisgaar's sentence. Charles raises an eyebrow. "is that ah, (Y/n) there on the couch. What are they doing here?" he asks.

"Charles!" Toki greets as he walks into the living room. "ssshhh!!" Pickles and Skwisgaar hush Toki to keep (Y/n) asleep. "sorry." Toki whispers an apology. Nathan and Murderface follow right behind Toki as they all gather in the living room.

"be quiet or else (Y/n) wakes up." Toki says softly to his other band-mates, taking the 'being quiet' very seriously. "why are they here?" Charles repeats question, also speaking slightly softer.

"we found them in a trash can, they got kicked out of her apartment and replaced at her job." Nathan explains to their manager.

"that uh, sure is troubling for them..." Charles peeks at the sleeping woman, he admits the state they are in is saddening, his expression softens slightly.

"Cans they stays here? With us?" Toki asks the manager. Looking at him with pleading big eyes. "We can't just kick them out." Nathan argues. "and it'sch nische to have schome new company here thatsch not boring." Murderface adds. Earning a glare from everyone else.

"hmm..." Charles hums as he thinks.

Everyone freezes as the sleeping figure squirms and groans. "That was the best rest I had in a while..." (Y/n) yawns, rubbing their eyes as the sits up. They look up to see all the guys looking at them. "Why are all of you looking at me like that?" they ask.

"hows are yous feelings (Y/n)?" Skwisgaar is the first to speak up. (Y/n) offers a tired smile, "a lot better than I did before." They responds with a chuckle, and then sighs.

"I can't believe that I'm basically homeless. Hey, you don't suppose that I could stay here for a while at least until I can find a new place and job?" (Y/n) asks, tightening the blanket around herself.

"yeah, oh please, Offdensens lets thems stays heres!" both (Y/n) and Toki look at the manager with begging eyes. For Charles, it's difficult for him to say no to Toki's face.

Charles sighs, "alright fine. They can stay here until They have found a way to afford their own place again."

And once Charles finished his statement, the rest of the group starts to cheer. Toki wraps an arm around (Y/n)'s shoulders. "This ams goings to bes Metals! A news friend ins the house!" he cheers. (Y/n) sighs in great relief, "glad I don't have to spend another night on the streets..."

"welcome to the family (Y/n)." Nathan announces happily.

_______________________________________ Yaya! Done!

Thanks for reading. - Missalot.

[anythingrubbish]

Trash Removal Services in Brisbane

Are you interested in availing Brisbane rubbish removal services? This can be a good option if you are tired of dealing with the mess and rubbish that are left behind after a building's demolition. It can also help if you have an odd lot of rubbish at home and need a convenient way to dispose of it away. If you do, you should consider hiring a company that provides such services so that you won't have to worry about doing it yourself. After all, who wants to deal with such unsightly trash?

There are many things that make trash removal services helpful. For starters, they ensure that your building is well-maintained. The crews will sort out recyclable items like paper and cardboard and separate those materials into appropriate bags. Then, they will sort out glass materials, plastic and metal according to the kind of material that it is. If you hire experienced companies, you can relax as they will do all the work for you.

In addition to this, there is also the fact that you don't have to deal with the mess after the demolition. You can always go ahead to empty your place or simply ask the company to remove any trash that you have left behind. Of course, this depends on the size of the job that needs to be done. Brisbane companies are available all over the city so you shouldn't have a problem in that respect. However, you should always make sure that the company you hire has permission from the local council to provide rubbish removal services. This way, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of their services without worrying too much about anything.

Brisbane rubbish removal services are not cheap either. Therefore, if you want to avail of this service, you should always do your best to make your bid for the same. Of course, you should have a clear idea of what you want to get from the deal. You should make sure that you are getting an affordable service for the money that you will be paying. The good thing is that you will find that there are many companies that offer this service, so you won't have to settle for anyone. As long as you are aware of what it is that you need, you will be able to choose the right company that offers the best rates.

Brisbane rubbish removal is very useful when it comes to different situations. For instance, there are some homeowners who are having problems with their gardens. These homeowners will then hire a trash removal service to help them remove the unwanted plants and shrubs that are taking up too much space in their homes. There are also some people who are thinking of installing pool pumps in their spas. They will be happy to know that there are companies offering pool pump removal services in Brisbane.

Furthermore, the removal of unwanted plants and shrubs can help beautify your lawn. Therefore, if you want to have a beautiful lawn, you will have to employ a company that offers services for garden removal. These services will help you get rid of unwanted plants and weeds that are growing on your lawn. In addition, they will also help you get rid of dead grass on your lawn. If you are thinking about installing solar panels on your home, you will be glad to know that there are companies that offer solar panel removal.

Brisbane garbage removal is also very useful in the construction industry. When construction is going on in a new building, the builders will often ask the owners to give them a few days notice before they remove all the debris from the construction site. However, not all owners are willing to give these services. Therefore, if you are not one of those owners, you will have to find a company that provides junk removal services in Brisbane.

Brisbane rubbish removal is not only for homeowners and the construction industry either. There are many businesses that offer junk removal service in Brisbane as well. We will also help you get rid of unwanted trash as well.

Please give us a call on 0466 245 628 for your rubbish removals at your convenience. We will be looking forward to give our best service to you.

[skiphirenearme6]

Everything You Want To Know About Skip Hire

As far as waste removal goes, nothing beats the all-reliable and available skip. As the United Kingdom battles a waste issue and a pandemic, skip hires have been the beck and call of homeowners and DIY home improvement enthusiasts. Indeed, even gardeners are appreciative of the help a cheap and reliable skip hire gives. 

Many companies in the nation have skips for hire. Regardless of whether you need garden waste or domestic waste eliminated, a cheap skip hire administration near you can ease the weight of any house clearing or DIY project. 

Reading this, many customers such as yourself may have several inquiries regarding skips. In this article, we answer some of the most widely recognized inquiries regarding skips-from the expenses of skips to skip sizes and past.Why Choose A Skip Hire?

With the number of ways to have your waste hauled off, you might be wondering why you ought to go with a skip.

Not all waste removal methods were created equal.

The following are some reasons why you ought to choose a skip hire near you:

Skips Allow You To Dispose Of Many Kinds Of Rubbish

Garden clearing, home renovation, and house cleaning are all activities that lead to waste. Such projects inevitably lead to ceramic, wood, green, and concrete waste.

A skip is ideal for these materials, especially when there is too much of them for you to drive to the local landfill yourself.

If you are unsure, you can place the following materials in a skip:

●     Furniture ●     Cardboard ●     Grass cuttings ●     Soil ●     Paper ●     Bricks ●     Tiling ●     Stones ●     Clay

Later on, we will go into a skip's possible contents in greater detail.

Skip Hires Are Easily Within Your Reach

Nearly every major area in the United Kingdom has at least 20 skip hire companies. In the West Midlands alone, there are an estimated 454 skip hires. In excess of 200 skip hire companies are in the Southern parts of the country. Manchester has the second-most noteworthy number of skip hires.

Need proof? Use our tool to find a cheap and experienced skip hire in your council.

Hire A Skip, Save the Environment

In the United Kingdom, fly-tipping is on the rise. This has resulted in high amounts of rubbish in landfills and on the sides of major motorways.

In the event that you wish to add to the environment and the UK's sanitation emphatically, hire a skip. The hire of skips can go far in guaranteeing your waste's mindful and legal disposal. Thus, you can breathe a sigh of relief realizing that you won't be penalized for discarding your garbage on roads or motorways.  Additionally, a skip hire can be an environmentally-stable way to dispose of your recyclable and dry refuse. The United Kingdom has laws on the disposal of waste in landfills. Although not illegal, disposal into landfills can cause robust taxes for a waste removal company. At the time of composing, £90 is the landfill tax for each huge load of refuse arranged.  To save cash, skip hire companies take a minimalist approach to waste disposal. All the more specifically, skip hires go to reusing. They reuse whatever they can so they would not have to dump an excess of trash. This allows them to maximize their benefits and save the environment at the same time.Choose an affordable skip hire, and you will be making a significant contribution as well.

What You Might Need To Arrange Before Hiring A Skip

You may not need any paperwork if you just intend on placing your skip somewhere in your property.

On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, using a skip may require you to sort out a few things before your waste removal operation. Documents like a skip permit and parking bay suspension are a must if the skip will be on an area outside your property.

Skip Hire Permit

A skip hire grant is a document that allows you to place a skip on a "limited area". Many places can be viewed as limited areas. A decent general guideline is to consider public places and motorways places where you cannot place a skip.

Here is a list of some places where you might need a skip permit:

A sidewalk

A park

The side of the road or motorway

Near a school or playground

There are other places. All you need to remember is that these places allow public access and are not your property.

Securing a skip permit or licence from your local council can be quite inconvenient. This is one more reason to choose a skip hire. Skips hires not only offer competitive rates for waste collection. They also process the licence or permit on your behalf.

Parking Bay Suspension

In the event that you expect to place your skip in a parking area, you will require a parking bay suspension. 

A parking bay suspension is a document that will allow you to utilize a parking spot for your skip. Obviously, you probably won't require one if the parking area is yours. 

Not at all like a skip grant or permit, a parking bay suspension should be arranged by the skip hirer. That means you. No skip hire, reusing and waste management company can arrange this on your behalf.How Large Can Skips Be?

Depending on your waste removal needs, you can choose from a range of skips. Skips come in many sizes. The costs of skips differ from one part of the country to another. However, the primary determinant seems to be the size.

The larger the skip, the more expensive it might be.

2-Yard Skip

A 2-yard skip is otherwise known as a mini-skip. It is the smallest available skip you can rent. With its 25 to 35 bin bag capacity, it takes care of most of your small home improvement waste. The mini-skip is the most compact.

For this reason, a mini skip hire can be the most affordable option for you.

4-Yard Skip

The midi-skip or the 4-yard skip is a size above the mini-skip and can hold about 30 to 45 bin bags. Being larger than a mini-skip, it can even hold small pieces of furniture. It can also accommodate rubble from small-scale DIY projects.

6-Yard Skip- Builders Skip

Manufacturers skip sizes start at six yards and is a popular decision for commercial customers. This size of skip gets its name because of its capacity to hold waste from small-scale development projects. The skip can hold around 50 to 70 container bags. 

It is also covered. In this way, you need not stress over anyone fly-tipping into your skip. Simply keep the cover shut. 

8-Yard Builders Skip 

This skip can hold 75 to 85 container bags. It is an ideal decision for building and development projects. You can even choose it on the off chance that you are accomplishing some major work on your home. 

12-Yard Skip-Commercial And Industrial Maxi-Skip 

For many homeowners, this is the largest skip that can be leased much of the time. It holds at least 120 container bags, and its size makes it incredible for massive furniture removal.If you plan on hiring a skip this large, there are a few things you may want to consider.

One is lorry access. A skip this size will require a large are for skip delivery and skip collection. Also, its size makes it the most expensive skip for homeowners.

What Can Go Into A Skip?

Not all waste can be placed in a skip.

Skip hires will in general focus on waste that can be reused and reused. This has something to do with landfill taxes. For each huge load of waste, skip hire companies need to pay £90. To be sure, this may not seem like a lot. In any case, when you factor in the amount of waste a company discards in a landfill, it adds up. 

In fact, a skip hire company can wind up paying more than £1,000 for discarding a lot of garbage in a day!hhTo avoid this, skip hire companies gather recyclable and biodegradable material. Recyclable waste can be reused or transferred to a recycling facility. Dry biodegradable waste from gardens or homes can be taken to a facility for composting. You can place the following materials in your skip:

●     Furniture

●     Cardboard

●     Grass cuttings

●     Soil

●     Paper

●     Bricks

●     Tiling

●     Stones

●     Clay

On the other hand, the following cannot go into your skip:

●     Food waste

●     Animal excrement

●     Medical waste like used syringes and catheters

●     Discarded nappies or diapers

●     Paint tins

●     Asbestos

●     Plasterboard

●     Batteries

●     Hazardous chemicals

●     Light bulbs

If you really need to dispose of these, you need to call a different waste removal service for your business or home.

How To Hire A Skip

Hiring a mini-skip to a commercial skip can be easier if you follow these simple steps:

Step One: Determine The Size Of Your Skip

You can only do this after determining how much waste you have. Doing this allows you to predict how much space you need for the skip and lorry. It will also give you an idea of how expensive the waste removal service will be.

Overestimating the size of a skip has lead to many overloaded skips. When the skip hire sees a skip filled above level, it can refuse to collect the skip. Hence, you need to assess how much waste you have before calling your skip hire.

Step Two: Determine Whether Or Not You Have An Area To Place A Skip

Why? Because if you do not, you might need to have a skip permit. Luckily, Skip Search can help you find a first-class skip hire service that can sort this out on your behalf.

If you need to place the skip in a parking area, you might need to arrange a parking bay suspension with your local council.

Final Step: Call Your Local Skip Hire

With Skip Search, you can choose a cheap skip hire, as well as one that is reliable and near you.

What Not To Do With A Skip

As per waste disposal laws and the regulations your skip hire will have, you cannot do the following:

Fill Your Skip "Above Level"

If you look inside a skip, you will see a line close to the top that reads "level loads only". Filling the skip above this level means that you have overfilled it.

Skip hires do not collect overloaded skips. Overloaded skips are a safety hazard on the road. A skip full of rubbish bags can spill waste onto the street. This can cause traffic, and worse, accidents.

Placing Prohibited Waste

Skip waste is often anything dry, biodegradable, and recyclable. Prohibited waste is the opposite. Also, prohibited waste contains toxic and harmful substances. This is why a skip hire team does not collect items like paint tins, asbestos, and plasterboard.

Disposing of prohibited waste into your skip can lead to the skip hire not collecting it. You may even be charged more for doing this.

Hiring A Skip Without A Permit Or Licence

You do not need a skip licence if you are placing the skip in your property. You will need one if you are putting it in a restricted area like the side of a road or a public space like a park.

To place your skip in a parking area, you will also need a parking bay suspension.

Using a skip without the necessary paperwork can incur a penalty from your local council. The fines can go as high as £1,000.

Place The Skip On An Unstable Surface

If the skip will be in your property, your surface has to be stable. Filled, a skip can weigh as much as two tonnes. Hence, placing it in your yard where the ground may be soft might not be a good idea.

A skip that tilts can spill your rubbish onto your lot or garden. This can set you and the skip hire team back in time.

If You Need A Skip, Look No Further Than Skip Search UK!

With Skip Search UK, you can locate the ideal domestic or commercial skip hire for your waste removal needs. We associate you to a skip hire near your location. Skip Search also encourages you locate an ideal skip hire with serious prices.

[weeklysparksofjoy]

7.19.20 - 7.25.20

Now that we’ve settled into our new place a bit more, the new setting has provided quite a bit of distraction from my usual work mindset. Lowered productivity and guilt have resulted in a shorter list of joy for this week.

Food

1. Bagels with chive and onion cream cheese: This breakfast was just a pure throwback. I slathered my Thomas’s plain bagels with Philadelphia’s chive and onion cream cheese spread and ugh, it was so yummy that even my cat was constantly trying to get a lick of it. It’s not by any means healthy, but it reminded me of my childhood, when Thomas’s plain bagels was a staple.

2. Tantanmen with bok choy: I cooked this recipe this week and substituted oat milk for soy milk and it was amazing. I loved the rich flavor of the spicy broth and that a bite into the meat (I used ground turkey since the grocery store didn’t have ground pork) offers a different flavor. The clean and pure taste of the boiled bok choy (I accidentally skipped adding sesame oil to the boiling pot of water) led me to recreate boiled bok choy as a side dish for another meal.

Items

3. Trash bags that fit our garbage can: This is a really silly one, but it is incredible what kinds of frustrations can emerge from a garbage bag-can mismatch. We own simplehuman’s semi-round step trash can, which we love, since we no longer need to lift a lid. When we first settled into the area, we had purchased a cheap Ikea trash can where the lid was a separate piece and each time we wanted to throw something out, we’d have to take the lid off and either hold it or lie it on the ground. These are all small details that when added up can cause a lot of disruption in daily living. Onto our current trash can, we tried to skip the cost of purchasing simplehuman’s liners and instead lined the cans with any plastic bags we got from grocery stores. No surprise that the weight of the trash’s contents would cause the bag to fall to the bottom of the trash can. More small ripples in our daily life. It was pure frustration reaching our hand deep into the can and try to scrap our dishes into the narrow slit of the crumpled plastic bag. Ultimately, we caved into simplehuman’s custom liners, which are the only bags that will fit this trash can, and there have been no small frustrations. In the end, this is also probably better for the environment. We were consuming plastic bags at a rate of once per day - the sum of the surface area far outweighs the surface area of a single simplehuman custom liner for a week. Additionally, now we can bring our plastic bags to the grocery store to get recycled. We’ve also been avoiding plastic bags at stores by bringing our reusable bags, so we would have likely run out of bags for our trash in the long run. Next on our list is composting! 

Miscellaneous 

4. Morning pages: This week I began filling 3 pages in my journal with whatever’s in my mind. I heard Youtuber Jenn Im fits it into her daily practice, so I thought I’d give it a try. I think it did help make this week a little better. It gave me an opportunity to write out what concerns I have and then propose possible solutions.

Special thanks to Cassie for designing the image! Check out her work on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meta__morphosis__design/ 

[upcycleability]

Stop Buying Single-Use Decorations

This balloon was tossed in a dumpster. Still had helium, and still had a lot left in it. But the thing is, once the helium leaked out the balloon, it would have become garbage anyways. 

This is just one of the billions of cheap streamers, paper plates, styrofoam or plastic-coated cups, balloons, and the like that are used for just one party, and then tossed away in the landfill, where they remain for thousands of years. None of these are able to be recycled, so they just end up as trash, or becomes litter. This is especially true with microplastics like glitter and confetti. 

While the physical waste is a huge deal, another big deal is the fact that we are running out of Helium. This is a non-renewable resource that is used for medical equipment and the like, that we use to fill up plastic in order to make someone happy for about an hour at most. Once it is gone, it is gone. So it is important that we only use it for what it is needed for. 

What can be done?

The best thing to do would be to use reusable plates and bowls at a party, and forego the crappy and cheap decorations. Or if you need to make someone, make it yourself at home. Make some chains out of craft paper, and then recycle the chains when you are done with them.

I personally think that the best type of celebration for a birthday or holiday would be to provide experiences over frivolous physical nonsense that is just going to be tossed out. Maybe go to the beach, or even go to a park. Go eat at a nice restaurant or someplace where you do not have to toss everything out. 

There are many ways to throw a zero-waste party, or even just a party with less waste. You do not need a bunch of glitzy crap to make someone happy. Just avoid the cheap decorations and thoughtless gifts, and give them something they will remember fondly for the rest of their lives. 

If you like what I write, consider buying from:

My Etsy shop for upcycled bags, jewelry, and crafting supplies.

Or

My poshmark for reclaimed clothing.

[exspiravited-a]

Worldbuilding: Sinnoh’s Energy and Cleanliness

Sinnoh is a beautiful region full of many breathtaking sights. From the sprawling mountain range that cleaves the region in two, to the many lakes dotting the landscape, there’s certainly a lot to look at and take in. 

Illegal Dumping & Littering

Both of these are taken very seriously in the Sinnoh region. All of the cities and landscapes are pristine, with hardly a scrap of trash to be seen even in the most lively and bustling city in the region. Fines for illegally dumping trash are huge, netting fines of up to ₽1,620,000 (keep in mind pokedollars are based on yen, and this number equates to around 15,000 USD). Illegal garbage dumping hurts the wildlife of the region, the aquatic life, and can even contaminate the soil if chemicals are present. 

Littering is a less costly fine, but a fine all the same if you’re caught doing it. Being caught littering can net a fine of ₽54,000 (500 USD). While littering is very frowned upon, there are ways people can reduce the money they owe, unlike with illegal dumping. Those who have been caught littering and have been served a fine can spend ten hours a week picking up garbage (not that there’s much to really pick up with to begin with), or volunteering to sorting recyclable material. The original fine of ₽54,000 can be reduced to as low as ₽16,000 (150 USD). Those who have been caught and choose to volunteer in order to reduce their fines are rarely repeat offenders. Not many people in Sinnoh treat their region so carelessly by tossing trash about, but it does happen in rare instances.

Recycle Program & Plastic

Recycling is huge in the Sinnoh region. There are receptacles on just about every block in any major city, allowing people to bring their paper, plastic, glass, etc. so it can be reused and repurposed into something else. Even small towns have quite a few recycling receptacles around, giving an ease of access to everyone.  

Sinnoh has begun the process of phasing out plastics entirely, along with styrofoam. Grocers have begun to use paper bags, and some even have a reusable bag incentive; they put items in reusable bags, and the customer can bring them back at any time and receive ₽10 per bag (about a dime in US currency). The reusable bags themselves are manufactured with recycled material, and are very cheap to make. The goal is to have plastic and styrofoam fully phased out of the region by early 2021.

Oreburgh Mine

Oreburg City is the only city in the region powered by coal. Admittedly, it’s something that some of the other towns do frown upon, but the mines provide a job and livelihood for a lot of the people living there. With the invention of CO2 towers in 2017, Oreburgh has made it a point to have these towers constructed in the city and around the mines. The CO2 towers pull in carbon dioxide and filters it, purifying the air and getting rid of the harmful pollutants. Oreburgh’s air quality has increased dramatically over the past two years thanks to these towers.

Wind Power

Valley Windworks is the leading producer of wind energy in the entire Sinnoh region. They’ve been an established company since the early 1900′s, using older wind turbines to provide power. As technology grew and changed, so did the turbines and the power output they could produce. The turbines around their main building can easily provide them with power, along with Floaroma Town, Eterna City, and Jubilife City. These wind turbines are placed in strategic places along the base of Mount Coronet. The sheering winds that roll off the mountains are very good for the turbines. 

Valley Windworks has expanded their turbine placements to the west side of the mountains as well, providing Celestic Town, Solaceon Town, and Hearthome City with clean, renewable energy. 

Water Power

Hydroelectric power has been a staple of Sinnoh since the early 1900′s as well, with water wheels turning and providing power along the rivers. With more modern technology, the power of the waves has been harnessed to provide the coastal cities with energy. Canalave and Snowpoint both use hydroelectric power to provide the people with electricity, and Sunyshore has set up their own hydroelectric system as well, sharing excess energy with Veilstone City. Because Twinleaf and Sandgem are such small towns, Canalave often shares this hydroelectric energy with them as well.

Solar Power

Sunyshore is the most well-known city for solar power, as they get more hours of sunlight on average than any other city in the region. The entire city underwent a remodel in the 1950′s, when solar panels began to be put into use. The remodel added the famous walkways in the city, allowing for much more space for homes and other buildings. These solar panels, of course, were changed out in more recent years for newer ones. 

The Battle Zone is also powered with solar energy, along with hydroelectric power from the ocean. 

Snow Power?

Researches in Snowpoint have recently discovered a way to harness power from snow. Thanks to snow carrying positive electrons and giving them away freely, scientists have produced a material with a negative charge. Once snow comes into contact with said material, it gathers the charge and turns it into electricity. This is still under test and trial, but snow power would be great for almost all of the region, considering how often it snows in the winter.

Misc.

All of the cities in the Sinnoh region are known as dark-sky cities. This means there’s ordinances and laws established on lighting fixtures, both for companies and citizens. That’s not to say having lights is illegal, there are just specific codes for lights. The wattage of the bulb has to be below a certain amount (60W), and the sides of the light must be shielded. This means that the top and sides of the light must be covered, with only light shining downwards. Each city stays within a range of 50,000 - 100,000 lumens per acre. Bright neon lights on skyscrapers (in applicable cities) are to be off by 9PM, while residents can have their outdoor lights on up until 11PM, provided that they’re properly shielded. Streetlights generally stay on all night until sunrise.

The crackdown on light pollution started as early as the 1960′s, with each city making an effort to reduce the light pollution they were giving off. When people got a clear look at the night sky, seeing the stars and the Milky Way that Palkia was said to weave, everyone had a great appreciation for seeing the full night sky without any harsh city lights. Not only that, but reducing the glare from light fixtures helps prevent pokemon (especially bug-types) from getting confused along with plants, and it reduces the overall energy use across the entire region. You can look up at the sky in any city and see the Milky Way.

Billboards and other similar structures are kept under strict codes as well, along with tall buildings. The mountain range provides a grand view from anywhere in the region, and tall buildings and billboards only interfere with this view. 

Public transportation is highly encouraged, with bus fares being relatively cheap compared to other regions. The buses are electric, powered with batteries. They produce zero emission, and each bus has its battery checked on every other month. The buses are kept in a giant, heated garage, so the batteries will still function even in the harsh winter.

Car manufacturers are working on figuring out ways to make electric cars more efficient in the winter time, since cold weather can reduce the range of these cars by up to 40 percent. Gas-powered cars are being phased out of the market, with manufacturers pledging to produce full electric vehicles by 2023. The discovery of snow power by Snowpoint scientists is sure to give a good push to the electric car market. Until then, many larger cities have charging stations all over. Other than that, people will bike or use their pokemon for travel.

Sinnoh is the leading region in renewable, clean energy, smashing previous clean energy goals every year. The air is very clean, along with the water, and Sinnohians take great pride in their region. Keeping it clean is a region-wide effort, and it’s something that really does bring the people together. 

[tnedustbin7]

trash-bag-for-car-oem-garbage-bag

[televisedbirdwatching]

Trash, Sweeps, and Life Unsheltered in Portland

“I understand that homeless people have it rough, but I don’t understand why they can’t just pick up after themselves better.”

It was a grey and depressing Portland morning in March of 2018, the time of year when people start getting excited about the end of winter, but before the time of year when everyone’s resolve is collectively crushed and we learn to accept to our sunless future. Some coworkers and I had the opportunity to earn some bonus money from our job by spending a few hours picking up trash in the neighborhood around our store. 

“I don’t understand why they can’t just pick up after themselves,” said my coworker, as he tried to lift up a wet sock using a trash-grabber. 

At the time, I didn’t really have anything to say to him. It was something that puzzled me, too. Walking around that part of town, it wasn’t uncommon to have to cross the street because a camp had completely blocked the sidewalk. Often times, although the tents themselves weren’t in the way, the outward sprawl of car parts, old tarps, abandoned box springs, and bicycles made passage difficult.

As with most of the things that I’ve learned since I first started working with unsheltered folks in Portland, the answer to my coworkers question was simpler and more direct than I imagined. I should have asked, Where are they going to put their trash? And then, who would come pick it up?

This photo is from a 2017 pilot project in Oakland that helped provide large-scale camps with trash service.

For the last few months, I’ve been working closely with a group called The People’s Store. We’re a mobile, pop-up, free “store” that helps unsheltered people get access to the daily care items they need. The things we carry in the store and the services we try to provide are informed by the unsheltered people we serve. One of the things that came up a few times was the need for a way to dispose of trash.

One of our volunteers pointed me in the direction of Metro’s Bag Program, a service our regional government has been providing since 2018. From their website: “Metro's bag program provides people who are experiencing homelessness with a way to dispose of their trash. The program started as a pilot in the fall of 2018 after Metro engaged local government representatives, law enforcement officers, community health workers and people experiencing homelessness to better understand disposal challenges for people living in camps, cars and RVs around greater Portland. In addition to providing disposal options, the program also aims to reduce litter and keep our communities clean and healthy.”

Metro distributes rolls of trash bags to camps around the Portland area, and there’s a phone number printed on the side of the bag that anyone can call to have the bag picked up by the RID Patrol, a task force on illegal dumping. RID Patrol employee Juan Garcia said in this article that “people living outside often offer to help him clean up. He recalls one site where a man was sweeping with a broom he'd made himself out of branches from a bush. ‘And he was literally making piles of rigid plastic and metal to recycle,’ he adds.

For more info on the Bag program, check out this video, created in partnership with Metro and Outside the Frame, a group that provides youth experiencing homelessness a way to tell their stories through the medium of documentary film.

The same article quoted Richard Catlett, an unsheltered person helping Garcia clean up a camp on 82nd avenue. “‘Homeless people aren't trash. We aren't worthless,’ he said as he pointed to some garbage on the ground. ‘This is a by-product of how we're forced to live.’

Beyond barriers to trash disposal faced by unsheltered folks, Catlett is right to highlight the fact that life on the streets often involves many single-use, individually packaged, and non-durable or repairable items. When I first started volunteering at Street Roots, I noticed the popularity of the styrofoam and plastic Cup Noodles ramen soups. I studied sustainability in college, and there was something deep in my brain that felt bad about handing out single-use styrofoam containers, along with single-use plastic utensils, knowing they would end up in a landfill in short order. However, who am I to begrudge someone their only calories for the day because the packaging isn’t a suitably sustainable item?

In an attempt to distribute the most goods to the greatest number of people, many of the items that folks donate or distribute to unsheltered folks are cheap, bulk buys. It’s an honorable goal to be able to distribute 50 backpacks instead of 10. However, when these items can’t stand up to the rigors of life outside, they inevitably end up as trash. Even if repair of these items is possible, it’s often not worth the time nor the money to purchase the required supplies. Coupled with the fact that there aren’t many opportunities to dispose of trash items, these things pile up.

This flyer from Portland advocacy group Stop The Sweeps provides critical information about the city of Portland’s campsite sweeping policies. One of the criteria used by the city to determine which camps to sweep first is “Has significant garbage or debris.” Without providing a robust system for trash disposal, it’s not clear how this is a fair qualification for determining which camps to sweep. 

However, there’s a parallel kind of logic present in the nature of sweeps themselves as a response to homelessness. The city provides few opportunities for unsheltered people to dispose of their trash, and then judges them based on their ability to keep their camps clean: The city provides few opportunities for people to access the supportive housing, and then disperses camps of people who already had nowhere else to go.

In an article on the Metro website, Solid Waste Planner Rob Nathan was quoted as follows: “We keep hearing from our partners that the more people are moved, the harder it is to provide them with transitional services, healthcare and housing—all those things we need to get people off the street. Our partners are really excited about this (the bag program) because they see this as a tool to help keep people stable, in one spot, and complained about less.”

In Portland, we’re incredibly lucky to have groups like Metro providing creative solutions to these problems with programs like the Bag program, and to have groups simultaneously creating low-barrier jobs and provide trash services through Central City Concern and Clean Start PDX. Programs like the bag program are a critical step in making sure that people can avoid getting swept and can experience the stability required to rebuild their lives. It’s clear that unsheltered folks want to help keep their camps clean- they just need the trash bags and trash service to do it. Programs like the bag program provide this support and help close the gap between the services housed people take for granted and the services unhoused people really need.

This photo is from a Street Roots article in the winter of 2019, when ODOT announced it was ramping up sweeps on ODOT property.

A few weeks ago, I was driving through a large camp in Laurelhurst Park, after making a supply drop for The People’s Store. As I drove by, I saw a woman using a broom to sweep off the sidewalk in front of her tent. 

A few days ago I learned that the Laurelhurst Camp would be subject to a sweep. Notices were to be posted shortly, and folks would have 24-48 hours notice to bring their camp into compliance with city policy on trash, social distancing, and other criteria. 

During the coronavirus pandemic, the CDC recommends that cities not clear encampments, as this can cause people to disperse throughout the community, making any kind of Covid-related contact tracing even more difficult. The CDC also recommends that cities ensure that nearby restroom facilities are available to unsheltered folks 24/7, and are “stocked with hand hygiene materials and bath tissue.” 

What would Portland look like if we followed this recommendation, providing all of our community members with basic necessities like access to running water and trash disposal?

Sources, Inspiration, Further Reading:

https://www.oregonmetro.gov/news/bags-provide-garbage-service-those-without

https://www.oregonmetro.gov/news/garbage-pick-shines-light-stories-we-can-t-see

https://www.oregonmetro.gov/tools-living/garbage-and-recycling/report-dumped-garbage/bag-program

https://www.streetroots.org/news/2019/01/11/camp-sweep-comes-city-takes-over-odot-land

[mad-hare]

Okay, some more, mildly educated thoughts on plastic. Since it is the hot topic.

We need to understand why we use so much plastic. It's cheap to produce (cheaper to produce new plastic than use recycled plastic in fact!), and has many desirable qualities.

Single use plastic is a hot topic for banning. It seems wasteful to use to wrap a cucumber in plastic wrap, but the plastic increases the shelf life of the cucumber from 3 days to 2 weeks. Is the value of less food waste greater than the detriment of creating plastic waste? For myself, at first glance this would depend on the time span you consider, however that article above claims that without plastic stores can lose up to half of all their produce. That is significant.

And of course the recent study that got a lot of interest, saying that a cotton tote needs to be used 7000 times to account for the environment impact it causes, as compared to a thin plastic bag. Cotton is not a very environmentally friendly fabric. It takes larges amounts of resources and has incredibly high pest pressures which necessitate plenty of pesticide applications.

In this case, plastic may be a better option- the thick, woven plastic bags that grocers sell now are sturdy, and may last longer under wear and tear than a cotton tote. Less environmental impact. Perhaps near perfect if, once torn up, you could guarantee they would end up recycled.

But, the thin plastic bag, so resource-cheap to produce, what is the cost of its use on the grand scale? If we forget the production cost. A cotton tote will degrade eventually. The plastic bag may be recycled, or it may be shipped from our "clean, developed" countries to a country looking for potential money.

The bag may break into small pieces, found in the guts of ocean dwelling scavengers, or the bag may simply end up in a whale. But in the end, it won't dissolve into safe particles for a long time, if ever.

Scientific Reports (open access): Organisms found to have ingested microfibres and microfibres in situ

~~~

A woman collecting plastic at a waste dump in Indonesia - in the year to October, the country received 63,000 tonnes of UK plastic                

If the bag is shipped off to an African or Asian or Eastern European country, it might be recycled. Or it might be incinerated, releasing its carcinogens into the air, reaching the lungs of people living in poverty first. The bag might end up in a trash pile, where people "work," collecting pieces of plastic they can sell to a recycler for a few cents. This is a fate for much of our plastic. Plastic waste can be considered high quality- sorted by type of plastic, clean of residue; or low quality- unsorted, full of old food, ect... most plastic waste is low quality. To recycle and sort it is too expensive, too much effort for higher earning people, so it needs to be shipped somewhere where gathering bottles out of rubbish is more worthwhile. What does this say about our views of ourselves, our views of other people? Is this a form of modern colonialism, where instead of stealing resources, we flood them with toxic garbage? (I’m no social scientist).

A country such as the USA, with much more land space, may simply choose to quit the recycling effort altogether for the time being and simply bury or stockpile the recyclable materials.

Several countries including Indonesia, Vietnam and Taiwan have heavily restricted imports because shipments were blocking ports and the quality of the material being imported (from all countries) was poor.

Another, more hidden, result of rubbish export is that it slows down innovation and progress. If a small, rich country such as the UK was suddenly left to deal with all of its own waste, there would be much greater investment in doing this properly. Since losing out on China as an importer of their plastic, the UK has sent plastic to other countries, but also has increased the amount of plastic incineration in the country. Forcing rich nations to deal with their waste instead of shipping it off would create more demand for improving recycling systems and finding better ways of recycling. There are hundreds of billions of tons of plastic on this planet, it is not going away unless we can innovate how to solve this problem. There needs to be pressure not only on industry to reduce plastic use, but also on governments and research-funders to find ways to start to tackle this massive problem, and look into how to eliminate microplastics now flooding our environment (among many other things!) I have seen so much innovation by small scale scientists to solve our plastic problem over the years, but as with all new ventures the cost of their eco-friendly products are high, and thus with no real sense of urgency to use their product, companies take no interest in their work.. I do believe the solution may already have been invented, or likely it is multiple solutions combined! We just need to up the pressure on government and industry now.

[renegade-is-in-my-blood]

Hey. Let me tell you about something that has been bothering for a while now. Few months ago while aimlessly scrolling my instagram feed I came  across this photograph shared by one of my favourite activist/photographer /artist instagram story – Jack Harries ( I would also recommend checking out his twin brother Fin Harries – truly inspirational guys) This is the photograph that blew me away:

Amazing right? This photo lead me to Natural Geographic page where I found bunch of alarming articles about plastic pollution. Of course like many of you I knew about this problem before but I never really realized juts how fucked up this situation got and the powerful images they shared truly hit me hard.  Check out some of this articles to learn more.

  There is a bunch of sad environmental videos, photographs or stories I could share with you but that’s not really my goal in this article. What I want to share with you is the ways we all could make a difference and show you some heroes that have been doing their part and don’t get much recognition for all of their hard work.

So here we go:

First of all I want to point you to this website called worldenvironmentday.global and their project BEAT PLASTIC POLLUTION with inspiring slogan if you can’t reuse it, refuse it.

They came up with amazing idea of organized clean up. Basically you can join a clean up event in your location and help get rid of and properly recycle plastic. Here you can learn more about clean ups and also about this app called Litterati which is simply an app tool to help you encourage others to collect plastic.

If you are more of a leader than follower you can organize your own clean up event and register it at this page and share it with people in your location with map of where exactly will the clean up be. Here is how you can register and start and make a difference.

With this organized clean ups I must introduce you someone. His name is Afroz Shah and to be fair I don’t know much about him but I aspire to be like him. This guy does the most amazing clean ups I have ever seen, he does post on his instagram page his clean up results of the week and there has been lot of weeks since he’s been doing this.

This was the picture I saw that led me to Afroz as he was the one of the volunteers. This truly restored my faith in humanity and I feel such satisfaction and relief that there are people who care and do something about plastic problem.

Here are some other photos I screenshoted that supports my theory about unknown hero:

I highly recommend you visit his instagram page HERE  and see for yourself the amazing things he did.

If you’re not into big events such as this you can still do your part by following many eco-friendly tips you can find on the internet and here are some:

The whole point is to reduce the amount of plastic you use every day, and if you are for some reason unable to stop using plastic the least you can do is reuse it. I understand that not all of the time you have your canvas bag with you, or your reusable bottle so you buy cheaper plastic version of this, but I’m sure you could find some use for them afterwards.

The sad thing is how cheap is to get this plastic option instead of ecologically friendly ones and trust me being a drop out student in between jobs, working part-time in KFC – money is heavy step back in my eco life as well. I feel so guilty every time I need to purchase a plastic bag and the amount of plastic waste I create on my own is upsetting. The least I can do is recycle it I – have bunch of plastic bags under my table that separates my plastic, paper and glass trash and once in a while I need to find a recycling bin and separate them. You would think that medicine a pharmacy students would have better access to recycling, but nah – if you want to recycle you must make an effort yourself what is such a difference from my primary school where each of our classes had recycling bins so kids could learn to dispose their trash properly.

This leads me to another topic and that’s leading and teachings kinds to reduce plastic waste. I would recommend you check out this stunning video called Oceans of future by Greenpeace. It’s important we grow sence of responsibility and ecological thinking in this kids. I’m so grateful my parents did that with me.

Since I was little we would always separate plastic or milk cartoons from other trash and recycle them later and my parents do that till this day. They actually fill the truck of our car with plastic and need to drive to recycling bins, because there are none in around our new place.

We would always need to turn off the lights when we would leave the room (sometimes not even when we leave the room – it’s so annoying when your dad turn of the lights off when you’re in the bathroom almost every time), turning the water off when you’re brushing your teeth, washing dishes or shampooing your hair. This might sounds ridiculous to you cuz I believe this things comes naturally to people and I find it useless to even mention such small things but I remember skyping with my grandma when she was living and working in america. She would always ask me if I tun off the water when I’m brushing my teeth and I always found it so weird she would ask me something like that. Of course I do. But the family she was staying at don’t find it as natural as I did and it was upsetting my grandma a lot.

We would always make fun of our family’s plastic bag full of plastic bags we would take whenever we went shopping, but once I moved out and lived on my own I realized how clever this idea is and now I have my own plastic bag of plastic bags.

I feel it’s important to put this sence of responsibility into kids and you can always do it in some fun kid friendly way. My parents would for example give me and my sisters bag and we would have to collect trash around our building – make a competition out of clean ups – who collects the most?

There is just no wrong or too little way to save the world.

How to be more eco-friendly if you work for larger corporations?

I currently work for large fast food chain restaurant KFC and let me tell you the amount of waste our single small store creates is alarming. The amount of food and plastic waste is unbelievable and the sad fact remains that single-handed part-time worker in such corporation can’t do literally anything without risking their jobs.

We do have separated trash bins for plastic, bio and mix waste, but we also have to throw all of the meat out once it reach its expiration period of extremely short 30 min! As a former vegetarian the amount of chicken meat, energy wasted for its preparation and basic situation of world hunger depresses me a lot. So what can I do  as an individual ? Girls gotta eat and pay bills.

Sadly I did not figure out answer to this question yet besides to push the big bosses into doing eco-friendly changes for whole restaurant chain. We did switched to paper to-go cups instead of plastic and we also use paper bags what is incredible step forward, but the amount of plastic straws is still bad and hopefully we would also make some changes like our competition did hat really pleases me :

Being a middle european I don’t really understand the demand for straws or ice, but switching to reusable metal straw could make a difference and prevent this from happening:

Of course I understand that if I refuse plastic straw at 27th June 2018  7pm from a cashier at fast food restaurant who has to offer me one I’m not gonna save the world – but if the fast food stops/reduce offering one – this might be actually a huge step  forward.

Why do I even write this?

Let me be so full of myself and believe that one day some big animal in some firm would come across this article, or some family member of their would mention Beat plastic pollution project to them and light up a spark of thought process in someone who actually could make bigger impact on environment.

Spread the word, get inspired, some people are really trying to make a change – why not be one of them ?

I’m not saying I’m perfect, I still occasionally buy plastic bag or bottle, I don’t always recycle materials that should be recycled and sometimes I’m just lazy and put plastic into mix trash can. But I also switch to bamboo toothbrush instead of plastic, I ordered bunch of canvas shopping bags (that would get deliver to me in plastic bag – how ridiculous is that? There should be something done by this issue as well, or the recipes – most of us don’t need them and sure as hell don’t have any way to reuse it – you might refuse it but that doesn’t mean it’s not gonna get printed anyway) and the least I can do is trying to be better and spread the word to people who care and even to those who don’t .

Also not every time is our effort met with actual results. I’m talking about fake recycling bins where all of the garbage ends up in same place without any recycling whatsoever. So if you see something like this in your building call out the authorities about it! Some of us are actually trying for crying out loud !

The amount of waste that ends up in oceans is just heart breaking. I grew up in a country without access to ocean and I only got to see sea or ocean at our summer family holidays and the memories  have from those trips do not meet the sad reality of how bad ocean pollution got.

Simple hard-working individual can not make a difference unless the individuals with actual powers makes changes to preserve the earth. But I feel like I’m slipping back into depressing side of this issue but I really want to point to positive effort of many people involve in helping solve this plastic pollution problem.

There is a note at our fridge in our dorms shared kitchen that states: “Our problem is that we believe someone else is gonna save the world” after one neighbour of mine got upset about number of plastic people from our hall were throwing away.

If you wat to make a difference but don’t know how to start here you can take  pledge at national geographic with simple tips of what to do to reduce your plastic waste.

Take your pledge

  Thank you so much for your attention

xo Natalia

    Beat Plastic Pollution Hey. Let me tell you about something that has been bothering for a while now. Few months ago while aimlessly scrolling my instagram feed I came  across this photograph shared by one of my favourite activist/photographer /artist instagram story - …

[thetruthseekerway]

Managing Our Plastic Addiction

New Post has been published on http://www.truth-seeker.info/featured/managing-our-plastic-addiction/

Managing Our Plastic Addiction

By Asma Jarad

Managing Our Plastic Addiction

The invention of synthetic plastic in 1907 by Belgian-born American immigrant, Leo Hendrik Baekeland, gradually and completely changed life for people around the world. In the search for a substitute to shellac–a natural electrical insulator–Baekeland invented Bakelite. Because it provides endless possibilities with its unique ability to be molded into virtually anything, Bakelite was marketed as “the material of a thousand uses.”

Over time, plastic evolved even further and replaced our reliance on natural materials such as metal, wood, stone, and animal tusks, becoming the material of infinite uses. Indeed, the development of plastic has proven invaluable to people and the environment. However, as with all good things, there is always a price to pay. Unfortunately, plastic products show up in places we don’t want them to; piling up in landfills, blocking our waterways, and polluting our oceans.

We are endowed by our Creator for good, so how can we utilize plastic in the countless beneficial ways it is offered without harming our health and contaminating our environment?

Plastic Everywhere

In the 1960s, plastic began gaining popularity due to its exceptionally versatile characteristics. Our lives today are saturated with plastic products; from the medical field, tech devices, furniture, toys, car and plane parts, to food containers and drinking vessels; reliance on plastic is everywhere. In addition to being precisely moldable, plastic is light yet durable, provides a practical alternative to glass and ceramics, is cheap to produce, and sterile enough to be used in medical procedures and devices.

It is indeed difficult to imagine a day without plastics because they make our lives easier, healthier, and safer. For example, safety helmets people use for riding a motorcycle or bike are nearly 100% plastic. Plastics also furnish our lifestyles; whether it’s the cellphone in our hands, the clean water delivered to our faucets, the television mounted on our walls, or the structural foundations of our homes, innumerable lifestyle possibilities would not be available if not for plastic.

As practical human beings, we know that there is no such thing as an all-around good thing. Everything has its downfalls and when it comes to plastics, there is no exception. With increased reliance on plastic as an alternative to natural resources, we gradually learn the negative result of the proliferation of plastics in our lives. As we become increasingly aware of taking care of the environment and reducing our waste, we also cannot ignore the collecting plastic debris, piece by piece occupying vast miles of ocean space, clogging our waterways, and piling up in landfills. The troubling effect of plastic waste certainly cannot be disregarded.

Since the chemical structure of most plastics renders them resistant to natural processes of degradation, plastic pollution has become a leading environmental plague. According to Rick LeBlanc, an expert in the area of sustainable packaging, “Normally, plastic items can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in landfills. But plastic bags we use in our everyday life take 10-1,000 years to decompose, while plastic bottles can take 450 years or more.”

There are solutions to this epidemic which include what I learned in grade school as the 3 Rs: reuse, recycle, and reduce. According to Laura Parker, a National Geographic staff writer who specializes in covering climate change and marine environments, “A whopping 91% of plastic isn’t recycled. Billions of tons of plastic have been made over the past decades, and much of it is becoming trash and litter.”

When we reuse and recycle rather than tossing away, we reduce the need to create more plastic products, thus helping to stave off what many experts fear will be a time in the not so distant future where the ocean will be filled with more plastic waste than fish. Roland Geyer from the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, specializes in industrial ecology and found that “The rapid acceleration of plastic manufacturing, which so far has doubled roughly every 15 years, has outpaced nearly every other man-made material.” Unlike other man-made materials such as steel, nylon, and glass, the lifespan of plastic products in our lives average under a year.

Tips for consuming less plastic as described by Stephanie R. Kinnon, a Vancouver-based freelance writer, include:

– Make an effort to purchase products with minimal plastic packaging.

– Use cloth bags for grocery shopping.

– Reuse plastic containers within your home. For example, plastic grocery bags can be reused for additional trips to the grocery store or as lunch bags, gym bags, and garbage can liners. Yesterday’s yogurt container can become tomorrow’s lunch pail. Old margarine containers can become storage vessels for an assortment of household items.

– Familiarize yourself with plastic recycling in your community.

Plastics on Our Health

In addition to the negative impact we inflict on the environment with our over-consumption, lack of recycling, and reliance on plastics, there is also a documented adverse effect on our personal health. For example, plastic containers are made with additives such as bisphenol-A (BPA), an industrial chemical that some experts claim is toxic because it binds to estrogen receptors and influences bodily processes such as cell repair, fetal development, growth, energy, reproduction, and fertility. When certain plastic containers are made, BPA is added to aid in product resiliency.

BPA is meant to remain sealed within the product, however, it commonly seeps into the food or beverages the container is holding. Given this information, BPA has been banned or restricted on several fronts, however the common replacements, bisphenol-S or bisphenol-F are similar to BPA in structure and toxic effect. To minimize BPA exposure, Aline Petre MS, RD, recommends avoiding packaged foods, drinking from glass bottles, being selective with toys, not microwaving plastic, and only buying powdered infant formula.

Whether we like it or not, plastics are here to stay. Despite the negativity surrounding them, plastics are critical to our modern lives. Without plastics, we would not have much of the technology we enjoy and depend on such as cell phones, computers, TVs, and lifesaving medical devices. Plastics’ versatility has raised our standard of living and helped shift reliance from natural materials in a safer, lighter, cheaper, reliable, and durable manner. It is incumbent upon each one of us to do our part in becoming plastic savvy to preserve our environment and protect our health.

We must reduce our waste by choosing reusable and recyclable plastics to keep them out of landfills as well as out of the water we share with other living creatures. When we are done with our plastic products, we should take responsibility for delivering them to reputable recycling centers where they are converted into other useful products. The benefits of recycling are far reaching as they include reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators, conserving natural resources, preventing pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials, and saving energy.

As Muslims who seek to follow in the footsteps of our ultimate altruistic role model, Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), we should heed his teachings when he advised us to hold ourselves accountable for our actions and to avoid going into excess as reported by Abu Huraira, “Verily Allah likes three things for you and He disapproves three things for you.

He is pleased with you that you worship Him and associate nor anything with Him, that you hold fast the rope of Allah, and be not scattered; and He disapproves for you irrelevant talk, persistent questioning and the wasting of wealth.”—(Sahih Muslim, Book 30, Hadith 12. Wealth comes in many forms, including a healthy environment. In the Quran, God commands us to avoid wasting resources and to be mindful of our guardianship role. He says, “But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.” (Quran 28:77).

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Asma Jarad is a Chicago-based freelance writer and editor published across multiple forums.

Reprinted from the Summer 2019 issue of Halal Consumer© magazine.

[2k30-blog]

40 Small Things You Can Start Doing to Save Our Planet

You don’t have to pack up and live in a van or a tiny house and start a zero waste life (although you totally can if that’s your jam!) to reduce your CO2 emissions. There are plenty of things you can start doing right now that will help. 

1. Turn off your water while shaving or brushing your teeth. Seriously, you should already be doing this. 

2. Carpool, take the bus, take the train, bike, or walk where possible. Yes, I know walking home from work in the summer sucks, but it will suck a whole lot more when the earth is 2 degrees hotter. If your school or work is too far away to do this regularly, try finding parking further away from your destination and park there for the day. Not only will this help cut down on your fuel usage, but you get in some exercise as a bonus. 

3. Shop locally sourced products. Did you know that the majority of resources involved in making a product go to the production and distribution of it, and not the final product itself? Buying locally sourced products not only helps boost the local economy, but also cuts down on the energy and resources needed to transport the product to its destination.

4. Speaking of shopping, bring reusable bags! According to the Center for Biological Diversity, it only takes approximately 14 bags for the equivalent of gas to drive 1 mile, and only 1% of plastic bags are returned for recycling. Not only do single use bags use fossil fuels for production, but they also end up as toxic waste and landfill. Reusable bags can be bought for as little as 99c each, and can be used hundreds of times. Many are even biodegradable to ensure they don’t end up as long term landfill.

5. Use the 4 R’s. Many people believe in the 3 R’s, but did you know there’s a fourth? Refuse. Refuse to use unnecessary products that create single use waste, such as single use grocery bags. Reduce the amount of products you buy and waste you use, when it’s impractical or impossible to eliminate them entirely. Reuse whatever you can, such as jars and cans. I’ll have an article soon about 50 household items that can be easily reused. And finally, recycle whatever you can’t reuse any further. 

6. Read up on the recycling rules for your municipality. Chances are, that pizza box might not be recyclable after all. Many areas have rules regarding items that were used to store food, such as chip packets and pizza boxes, as the oil may be in the cardboard. Read up on the rules so you know what you can actually recycle, and whether you should be washing and taking apart bottles before you toss them. 

7. Replace leaky taps and pipes. If you have a single leaky faucet that drips once every 6 seconds, that’s 347 gallons (almost 1,314 litres) a year dripping out your tap. Replace or seal them where possible. 

8. Turn off appliances at the wall when they aren’t in use, and turn off lights when you aren’t in the room. 

9. Cut down your meat intake. Don’t get me wrong, I love meat. However, meat agriculture takes up a gross amount of land, water, and resources. The emissions from the meat industry outweigh the emissions of all cars, trains, boats, and planes combined. You don’t have to go cold-turkey (pun fully intended), but cutting down your meat consumption to only a couple meals a week can greatly help. According to earthday.org, if the entire U.S. did not eat meat or cheese for just one day a week, it would be the equivalent of taking 7.6 million cars off the road. Try going meat free for one or more days per week. 

10. Use a reusable water bottle. Stainless steel and aluminium water bottles (such as Hydroflask or Kathmandu, not sponsored, I just like the brands) are great as they have a long life cycle, can be recycled, and you don’t risk BPA and other chemicals leeching into your water from plastic. If you don’t live somewhere with good water, buy an under sink filter or even a Brita. I prefer under sink filters as they’re easy to install and in the long run they’re cheaper and produce less waste, but both options are better than buying cases of water bottles. 

11. Put a bucket or old ice cream container in your sink to catch runoff. My grandma, who was raised during the depression, has always done this. Use it to collect any water that doesn’t have contaminants or soap, so you can pour it on houseplants or in your garden. 

12. Use non-toxic biodegradable laundry and dishwashing products so that you aren’t washing toxic chemicals down the drain. 

13. Bring a reusable thermos or coffee cup to get your coffee. If you don’t make coffee at home, try bringing your own thermos or coffee cup to your local coffee joint. Most stores will be happy to make your drink in there, and some stores even offer discounts for you doing so!

14. Wash your hair less. Not only is this good for your hair, but it also means less toxic waste getting into the sewer. Many people (including me) are ditching shampoo altogether and just using conditioner, but if you can’t go without your shampoo, try to reduce your hair washing to once a week. 

15. If it’s yellow, let it mellow! If you’re just doing a Number One, you really don’t need to flush every time. An average toilet uses 1.4 gallons of water for a flush (but if you have a toilet dating before 1995, you may be using up to 7 gallons per flush!), if you pee 10 times a day, that’s 14 gallons of water. If you flush every second pee, you’ll save 7 gallons of water per day, or 2,555 gallons per year. 

16. Air dry clothes instead of using the dryer. My dryer is strictly reserved for emergencies. Even in the smallest apartment, you can find a foldable clothesline that suits your needs. Place it next to a vent or radiator for maximum drying abilities.

17. Have a baby? Use reusable cloth diapers. One child can use anywhere between five to eight thousand diapers. That’s a lot of landfill. 

18. Plant a tree. Did you know that the average person would need to plant almost 9 trees per month for their life to offset their carbon emissions? The good news is that even planting just one tree will help. Read up on what trees and native plants are goo for your area. 

19. Use cruise control when in level areas. Cruise control can seriously help reduce your fuel consumption, but it works best in level areas. If you’re driving in a hilly terrain, it’s best to use your old fashioned gas pedal. 

20. Getting a new car? Consider an electric, or at least a hybrid. The electric and hybrid car markets are expanding, and now you can even get hybrid 4WD’s. Obviously not practical if you’re happy with your current car, but if you’re in the market, check it out. Compare gas mileage and make an informed decision. 

21. Buy secondhand and thrift. It’s cheap and you can find some great deals and gorgeous things. Need I say more? 

22. On the same note, regularly donate anything you don’t need instead of throwing it away. 

23. Try reusable menstrual management. Reusable cloth pads and period cups are a lot better than they sound. I was a skeptic, but after switching to a cup, I’ll never look back. Not only am I saving money, but I’m also saving an estimated 437 tampons per year. 

24. Recycle clothing hangers. Many clothing hangers aren’t actually recyclable, but as it turns out, some dry cleaners will gladly take your old hangers to use. 

25. Reduce your junk mail. Get bank statements emailed to you instead of mailed, and contact any junk mail services to tell them you no longer want their mail. Unsubscribe from mailing lists. 

26. Get rechargeable batteries. While we’re at it, did you know there are battery rechargers that can recharge non-rechargeables? Life. Changing.

27. Don’t run the dryer, washing machine, or dishwasher unless it’s full.

28. Replace all your bulbs with energy efficient LEDs. 

29. Maintain your car. If, like me, you do have to regularly drive a non-electric car, you could be wasting a considerable amount of fuel due to your car not being maintained. 

30. Reduce the weight of your car. I know it sounds stupid, but added weight really does change your fuel efficiency. I’m not suggesting you rip out your spare tire and back seats, but you should remove roof racks or storage pods when you’re not using them. 

31. Use both sides of a piece of paper when printing or taking notes. 

32. Wash your laundry in cold water when possible. Unless your garment tag specifically advises against it, your fancy blouse can probably be washed cold. 

33. Use matches instead of lighters. The wood of a match will degrade long before that plastic BIC. 

34. Dim your screen and turn off data when it’s not needed. You’ll save on your phone or laptop’s battery usage, and in turn, need to charge them less.

35. Put less on your plate and go back for seconds when needed. No, this isn’t a diet tip. Approximately a third of what Americans put on their plate will go in the garbage. Put less on your plate, and only go back for more if you’re still hungry. Put leftovers in an airtight container and eat them the next day. 

36. Ease off on your heating and AC. There’s no shame in wearing jackets around the house, but even if you’re not that extreme, you could save a lot of energy by changing the temperature by just 1 degree. 

37. Buy paper stick cotton tips (Q-tips) instead of ones with plastic sticks.

38. Eat more raw foods. This will either reduce your propane or electricity usage, depending on your oven or stove. 

39. See some trash on the sidewalk? Pick it up. 

40. Check your home for drafts and air leaks. It will make your heating and cooling system more efficient. 

I know these all sound like small or useless things, but if we all take a few seconds and try out a few of these methods, it will make a difference. Every bit helps.

[hotomant123-blog]

Part 7. In-class Blog Questions B (   /5)

Zoos 

A. What role, if any, should zoos play in conservation/education? 

- If necessary when needed, conservation should only be an option when the animal is marked as an endangered species or below. To conserve means to protect wildlife, especially an environmentally or culturally significant animal from harm or destruction.  

During conservation efforts, Zoos then should inform and bring awareness of the wildlife animals being held inside the zoos. Information such as where do they come from, what they eat, what's affecting the population, what we can do to reduce problems affecting their population. 

An example is our own Winnipeg Zoo, which does educate the public of what polar bears are, and information relating to each specific bear. Researchers and staff work to conserve each bear until they are ready to transitioned to live in wildlife when they’re older. Examples include the nine orphaned polar bear cubs at the zoo, polar bears, which are known to be marked as endangered due to mainly pollution, poaching and unregulated hunting. 

B. Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos? If so, what size/type of animal or zoo? 

- I do believe its ethical to keep (some) animals that are listed as an “endangered species.” But depending on the size of animals, enough space for animal comfort, be similar to their local habitats, and have companionship with same species animal (unless a tiger or predator). Kind of a grey issue, since I do believe that all animals should be out in the wild free. Although small animals are fine since most spaces are large enough for each individual small animal. Each zoo should consider, when taking a large animal, such as camels, and or elephants should also match the space required for an animal to feel comfortable and not place an animal to feel “Repetitive behaviours: with no goal or function observed in captive animals in abnormal and barren environments. Can be indicative of environments that do not allow animals to satisfy their normal behavioural needs.”  (Class notes: Zoos)

An example can be the camels, for big mammals, seem to have a slightly small area for their own use. 

https://www.assiniboineparkzoo.ca/zoo/home/explore/animals/mammals/page/3

C. Do you enjoy visiting zoos? 

- Personally, no. The only time I find the need to go to a Zoo is during day camp, to take the children to the zoo to education them the most on animals and why they’re in the zoo. Although the kids are mostly hyper and run around, I believe that repeated exposure to information eventually would bring awareness in youth on animals status in the world!

Food  

Consider your food system: 

A. What do you like about it? 

- What I like about my food system is that I have chosen it, therefore making it delicious to me. Since it considered mostly packaged food from home, consisting of mostly fruits, vegetables, and relatively medium sized meat/chicken with a carb that best suits the protein. Such as fried rice, steamed vegetables, cut chicken, and a mixture of soya sauce. 

I have mostly three to four meals per day throughout time. (Breakfast, late lunch, dinner, and a snack if needed). Mostly consisting of homemade food instead of junk food, mainly for a better diet, since I mostly want to know calorie intake, protein, carbohydrates and other nutritional facts being placed into my body. 

B. What do you dislike about it? 

- Wholesome food is not very cheap to buy, especially since bought in either bulk or in small quantities no matter if purchased from local or Costco. Although hats off to me for following a mostly home cooked diet plan, it also stressed my wallet out numerous times. 

Unfortunately, the packaging sometimes comes in consists of big cardboard boxes, or plastic containers (such as grapes), something which I wish can change to environmentally healthier packaging. Although I bring my own reusable bags, nothing can stop the company from using these cheap materials to package our food that later becomes useless and thrown out. 

Consider taste, nutrition, cost, equity, and environmental issues 

Oceans 

A. What are your primary concerns about the oceans? 

- Hearing about the garbage made from us, that is inside the oceans. We know that waste that enters the sea can end up anywhere in the world and affect local wildlife, and environment which can pose health risks. There are areas that garbage is flowing to, what steps we are taking to clean our oceans and prevent trash from ending up in the oceans. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/40-tonnes-of-garbage-pulled-from-vancouver-island-beaches-1.3781567

B. What, if anything, do you plan to do about it? 

- Obviously, living in Winnipeg and nowhere near the ocean unless living close to Hudson Bay. As an individual, I am not continuously searching which items that can be recycled, will be thrown into the blue boxes given by the city of Police. Most of all, to reuse some plastics that can be cleaned and weren’t used to store cleaning chemicals, should be reused to container leftovers, or for other purposes. 

[cpatampa-blog]

Broke? Learn Personal Finance Advice That Will Help You Get Ahead!

No matter what kind of job you have or what your status is, you have got to deal with your personal finances. Nothing is right in your life until you've got your finances sorted out. Here are a few effective ways to make sure your personal finances are in order.

When you are renting out your property there may come a time that you need to have a tenant evicted. It is a hard decision to make, and it doesn't come cheap either. You can easily go through the process yourself, no lawyer is needed, but be sure to seek out the advice of someone else who has done it before, as the court system can be tough to navigate for the first time on your own.

Make sure that you are collecting all of the tax credits to which you are entitled. Look out for the following tax credits: Child Care Credit, Child Tax Credit, Lifetime Learning Credit, Earned Income Credit and Hope Scholarship Credit. Visit the IRS's website for a complete list of tax credits that you may be eligible for.

Don't leave your wallet or purse unattended. While thieves may not take your cards for a spending spree, they can capture the information from them and use it for online purchases or cash advances. You won't know it until the money is gone and it's too late. Keep your financial information close at all times.

Do not take on more debt than you can actually handle. Just because you qualify for the loan for the top of the line model of the car you want doesn't mean you should take it. Try to keep your debts low and reasonable. An ability to get a loan doesn't mean you'll have the ability to pay it.

Never use your credit card for a cash advance. Just because your card offers it doesn't mean you should use it. The interest rates on cash advances are extremely high and utilizing a cash advance will hurt your credit score. Just say no to the cash advance.

Never use a credit card for a cash advance. Cash advances carry with them extremely high interest rates and stiff penalties if the money is not paid back on time. Strive to build a savings account and use that instead of a cash advance if a true emergency should arise.

Put your paperwork together before you fill out your rental application. Make sure you have your employment history for at least the last 5 years and be ready to explain any gaps there might be. Make a list of your addresses for the last 5 years and have the names and phone numbers of your landlords. Without these, it is very unlikely you would be able to lease or rent anything.

Do not, if at all possible, spend more money than you make. Obviously, situations arise, and sometimes it is alright to borrow money. However, it is important to live below your means. Sacrifice a little now, and later you will reap greater benefits than you can imagine.

If you plan to open a bank account think about what services you need from the account. Quite often banks charge fees for various services unless you keep a minimum balance. You will have to decide if keeping your money tied-up in a minimum balance is worth the extra services.

Set goals on how you will manage your money. This can help you quell the desire of buying something on impulse. Your financial goals should reflect your priorities. When you have clear goals, you are less likely to spend on things that that do not bring you closer to that goal.

Set a financial goal to work your way toward financial security. Your goal can be small initially, such as paying off one credit card. Later, you can grow that goal to something like being a millionaire by retirement age. Setting a goal gives you something to work toward. It also allows you to outline specific steps that you will follow in order to get there. Both are important steps toward improving your financial situation.

You should never be afraid to invest in yourself, you never know when it will pay off. If you're the innovative type and think you can really do well in business, then you should take the risk to invest in yourself. You shouldn't put a strain on your entire financial situation, but you should still be willing to invest in you.

Buy tires for your car, two at a time. They aren't cheaper that way but it will be much easier on your pocketbook than buying all four at once! For safety reasons, it is often advisable to ask your mechanic to rotate the tires that were on the front of your vehicle to the back and put the new ones on the front.

Save your plastic grocery bags and tuck them in your car, your luggage, and your trash cans. What better way to recycle these bags than to use them again and again? You can take them along to the grocery store, use them instead of new garbage bags, put shoes in them when you are packing, and use them a thousand other ways.

If you are young, ignore the conventional wisdom of investing in 80 percent stocks and 20 percent bonds, and instead aim for a 50-50 balance. Given the volatility of the market, you can still lose quite a bit by putting most of your money in stocks. Having a mix of both may reduce your returns a little bit, but it might also cushion you against huge losses.

Start investing early to take advantage of the passive income you can generate through interest. If your investments average a 10 percent annual rate of return, that means that $100 invested today will be worth $110 one year from now. Ten dollars doesn't seem like much, but the more you invest, the more you earn.

Use these tips as guidelines for keeping your finances running smoothly. Once you have your finances worked out, you can breathe more easily and begin to truly enjoy life. Make sure that your financial life is worked out and you can make the most of the days yet to come.