It was enjoyable re-reading this thread and seeing how we all lived. Of course, rules have changed in our area since I last contributed in 2015.
Against the wishes of the entire township, our current mayor re-instituted garbage pickup but we hardly ever put out anything. Recycling no longer takes foam of any kind...but the library collects used batteries. We have county depots far away from our home where electronics and paint cans can be taken and we pay for that privilege. We even dispose of our dog poop in a special container which Ed has moved once in 23 years. Mostly they do their business out on the farm land during our daily walks. I keep our backyard poop-free because of our constant exposure to giardia on the farm.
As for throwing out food. Doesn't happen. Anything vegetable gets roasted and kept in the freezer for soup or enchilada making.
Our pots and pans are really old. Some made in Korea and Japan even. And we have something you don't often find...a metal grilled cheese and waffle maker. We all remember metal...we just don't see it anymore in a lot of appliances.
I hate washing plastic bags but do it faithfully. We use cloth grocery bags...where we live you have to pay for plastic bags if you want them.
I hate, hate, hate the plastic packaging which we buy. Batteries for one. Just about anything from Canadian Tire. The packaging of supplements drives me slightly batty. A bottle big enough for 1,000 pills I swear with 60 in it.
We are not saints and not as green as I would like, but we do our own best.
PS. And while we are on the subject (and here comes the ranting part): We keep our house cooler in the winter and hotter in the summer than most visitors like. For them I change the temperature settings. But apparently Ontario, which has tremendous sources of electric power, and we are exporting much of this to the USA at a loss, has the most expensive electricity prices in all of North America. There. I'm finished.
