Blame it on Earth Day

Maybe it is all the PR pitches about Earth Day that has me in the green mode more than normal.  Maybe it's my pregnancy or the spring time with its feelings of renewal and spring cleaning.  Whatever it is I've become incensed lately when I see something going to waste.  Well, more so than my normal ranting, undapants in a wad, shaking fists fury. 

Case in point, today is trash day in my 'hood.  I look across the street and see my neighbor is throwing away a grill, two strollers, a bike, a little tikes car and a tiny pool table. Then there is some actual trash.  I say to H, "I hope that's for Freecycle."  To which he replied, "Nope.  It's trash."  One man's trash as they say... and I dashed across the street and went to look over the pile.  The bike and kid car are fine.  The strollers too.  Who knows about the grill but everything else is left for a landfill and it is such a waste.  As a freecycler I know that there are people out there looking for this stuff who need it.  I'm sure there are plenty of kids who would love a "new" bike and it's not in their parents budget.  I'm tempted to grab the strollers and freecycle them myself.  I can't stand to think of them being crushed in a trash truck and sitting in a heap for eons to come. 

Next door to this house is a home that was recently foreclosed on and an investor bought it from the bank.  In the last two weeks a giant metal dumpster has resided in front of the house holding all the trash and debris the rehab crew has tossed.  I looked inside this weekend and saw a lawnmower, televisions, cabinets and more.  Things that Habitat for Humanity would take and use at their Restore.  Those electronics don't belong in a garbage dump either.  I wanted to hurl myself inside it and start dumpster diving just to properly dispense of the items residing inside. 

Halfway through this blog post my neighbor called and asked if I wanted to go trash picking.  I told her I would meet her outside.  Minutes later my kids were the excited owners of a little tikes car that works well and looks new. My friends son has a new red bike.  The strollers sadly, while completely new were covered from handlebars to wheels with mold.  Such a waste. 

If you want to know more about Freecycle for your area, visit here.  I'll be speaking to a local Mom's Club chapter next month about becoming more eco-conscious and the amazing products that don't cost an arm and a leg to help put you in the green.