Rubbermaid - Adventures in Organization

How People at Rubbermaid Recycle

So, how do people at Rubbermaid recycle?  I was curious, so I asked around.

At my house, we used to put all the empty recycling items on the edge of the island as we were finished with them.  I became frustrated with the recycling clutter that continually gathered on the island in our kitchen.  It would sometimes sit there for days at a time before we took it out to the garage where our recycling bins are.  Recently, we put a small trash bin under our sink for all recyclables.

 

Now, we end up only making a couple of trips out to the garage during the week and it really helps keep our island free of clutter.  Also, when we have people over, we put the recycling bin out in the open so our friends can throw their cans in one bin and their garbage in the other.  We don’t have to spend as much time cleaning up after them, keeps our island clean, and helps our friends recycle too.  (Plus, since my husband is in charge of normal trash duty, and all of the recyclables are in a trash can, it’s his job to take the can out to the garage!  I love it!)

I asked Erin, our friendly blogger extraordinaire, how she recycles at home.  She and her roommates use paper bags from Trader Joes or Harris Teeter and keep them in the pantry. They wash the recyclable items, throw them in the bag, then take the bag out to the garage when it is full. Her roommate likes using the paper bags because if anything spills, they don’t have to clean a trash can, but can just toss the bag.

I also asked Rob, one of our industrial designers, what his recycling is like at home.  Of course he jerry-rigged part of his recycling so it’s all creative! He puts paper in one can.

Then he set up this clear tote above his garbage can.  Putting his recycling bin right near his trash can has helped him recycle more since it’s in such a convenient location.

When his tote gets full, he throws everything out into his large 45 gallon can for the recycling truck to pick up. 

It seems like people around here have found some interesting ways to recycle at home.  Have you found a solution for recycling that works for you?

If you would like to get more information about recycling in your area, this page from the National Recycling Coalition is a great resource.

The Surprisingly Versatile Spring Bag

I am so glad that Lorie Marrero, a professional organizer, came to visit our office recently.  She gave us awesome insights on how she helps people organize.  However, the most exciting thing for me was that she told us how she uses our Spring Bag (designed for gathering outdoor leaves and yard debris). 

She uses it while helping her clients get organized in their homes.  She also uses it for herself - for picnics, camping, parties, and opening gifts at holiday time (The Clutter Diet Blog).  I never realized that this item was so versatile!  I am so excited to pick one of these up and actually try it to help with organizing my home.  I need a lot of help getting organized, so I'll take whatever little tips and tricks I can pick up along the way.

Do you have a product that was made for some other purpose, but you use it to help you get organized?  If so, I'd love to add your product to my list of items to try out!

Rubbermaid as Take Out Containers

I recently stumbled upon a blog I found really cool on using Rubbermaid containers for takeout.  It is an idea we have heard a lot from our consumers as a way to reduce the waste caused by disposable containers.   However, really enjoyed Jason's "social experiment" and also the reference to soup Nazi since I am a Seinfeld fan. 

I commend Jason on his diligence to using durable reusable containers to encourage others to change behavior step by step.  Please continue to share any stories you have on reducing waste!

Rubbermaid Canisters and Compost Waste

After a brief and inexcusable absence…your Canadian Rubbermaid Blogger from Toronto is back.

Recently, my wife and I befriended an American couple who had moved to our fair city from Chicago. When I asked them to name the things they found the “strangest” they, without hesitation listed two: the rigorous rules on sorting trash/recycling and the bagged milk (a topic too vast to be properly dealt with in a 500-word blog).

 

As for the recycling….Canadians have always been and are becoming more and more conscious of protecting the environment. As a result of that cities and municipalities are working to have people sort their trash at home so that it can be easily recycled downstream thereby diverting the amount of waste sent to landfills. Even within recycling we are asked to divide our “wet garbage” (organic refuse…like food scraps) and our “dry recycling” (of the normal paper/plastic variety).

The city of Toronto then arms us with a green recycling bin (picture 1) for the curb as well as a small kitchen container to throw the wet waste in at the source and on the fly (picture 2). A normal operating procedure would have residents fill up their trusty kitchen container until it fills and then loading it into the green container that’s collected once a week. Local stores even sell bio-degradable plastic bags so that the whole package is recyclable. It all sounds like a flawless little operation.

 

Except one thing….. by definition wet garbage stinks. And while the kitchen container has a small clasp, it’s not air tight and after a few weeks of use, fails to work at all (i.e. smelly kitchens). To correct this I recently purchased two Rubbermaid Flex & Seal Canisters. I’ve gotten rid of the Government Issue kitchen container and placed one Rubbermaid Canister under my sink (picture 3) and another in overhead cupboard on stand by (picture 4).

 

The containers can hold about a week’s worth of wet waste (at my home anyway) and the famous flex & seal air tight lid locks in all of the odours. With the two canisters I can easily dump the waste and then throw it into the dishwasher with my clean canister ready to go. A friend of mine has three….if I had a house full of kids I would probably employ an army of at least six.

This little tip is perfect for Torontonians, people who live in other jurisdictions that collect organic waste and even those that compost on their own. If you want to know where to buy one of these canisters…just go to the product link and hit the “find a store” option. You’re then just a postal code (or zip code) away from locating a store near you that sells the product.

Being environmentally conscious often necessitates some habit changes but it should never require a smelly kitchen.

Hopefully I’ve helped my American friends see the light……is this useful to anyone else?