ROOM FOR A PONY

Exploring what life could be like if we weren’t buried in clutter, burdened with too many possessions, and surrounded by chaos.

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Entries Tagged as 'waste disposal'

“When in doubt, Throw it out!”

March 5th, 2014 · No Comments · Garbage, Recycling, Trash Disposal

I know you’ve heard that little maxim. And I’m sorry to tell you that yes, “throw it out” means into the Garbage — i.e., not the recycling. And I know that’s painful for you. You WANT everything to be recyclable — but it’s not. I used to suffer from the same illness — which by […]

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I have found my people!

September 23rd, 2013 · No Comments · Garbage, Recycling, Recycling School, Trash Disposal

I can’t help it — I’m obsessed with garbage, and with how the world is filling up with it. But I’m not alone!  Finally I’ve been admitted to the Master Recycling Program, an educational opportunity coveted by so many Portlanders that there’s a waiting list for it. Yay! Yay, but boo. Yay because it thrills […]

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The daily deluge of coffee cups into the landfills

August 25th, 2013 · 2 Comments · Consumer Issues, Disposability, Recycling, Take-out containers, Trash Disposal

I just got back from a trip. In the airport on the way out of town we got drinks at a Coffee People. Then I had to throw away the cup. Ow! I could hardly do it. But they’re not eligible for reincarnation, so I had to. The rule of thumb is that anything that can […]

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Bad News for Rigid Plastics: China sings the Elvis song.

August 1st, 2013 · No Comments · Disposability, Manufacturing, Recycling, Trash Disposal

She wrote upon it: Return to sender. Address unknown. No such number. No such zone. China’s mad. Yes, China — the one who buys most of the world’s discarded plastics so that we can buy fright-loads of manufactured plastic doodads back from them — has had it. Reason? They’ve been getting boat-loads of plastic with […]

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What to do with spent batteries

July 8th, 2013 · No Comments · Batteries, Disposability, Toxic Waste, Trash Disposal

Do you know someone who tosses used batteries back into the drawer with the NEW batteries? What’s up with this sick habit? I can explain. But first, let me complain. The next person, naturally assuming the batteries pulled from the new-battery-drawer to be new, finds that the appliance still doesn’t work and starts down a […]

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Where to get rid of Styrofoam blocks in Portland

June 13th, 2013 · 4 Comments · Disposability, Packaging, Polystyrene, Recycling, Trash Disposal

I have to admit I’ve been feeling somewhat holy about going to the trouble of schlepping our huge Styrofoam blocks out to one of the only two places in Portland that will take them. I feel less holy after what I’ve just found out. …. which I’ll tell you about in a minute. But first […]

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Spontaneous Post-Carnage Shrines: Dead flowers and wet teddy bears

May 2nd, 2013 · No Comments · Decluttering, Disposability

I’ve become so obsessed with the waste stream that even in the midst of tragedies, my mind goes to to the garbage issues. By now the explosion debris at the Boston Marathon has been cleaned up, but I always wonder: what about these mountainous offerings of flowers and stuffed animals that accumulate in the outpouring […]

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Collectivitis combined with the ecological mindset

March 18th, 2013 · 1 Comment · Collecting, Consumer Issues, Disposability, Philosophy, The Packrat Mind, Trash Disposal

You might think it’s dumb that I write about things like pen caps and sock hangers — but that would mean you were missing my larger purpose. My assignment (call it a compulsion if you must) is to scrutinize each and every little item and ask the big questions — go all the way back […]

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