Living Greener Isn't Always Easy

Living greener isn't always easy.  Since we started living greener, I've had a collection of boxes and containers in my garage and hallway for plastics, aluminum, paper, newspapers, etc., etc., etc.  The paper products have to be neatly stacked.  No problem.  The aluminum and plastics have to be cleaned out and sorted.  Starting to be a problem.

I started a large compost bin for the garden about six years ago and have a little compost bin for kitchen scraps.  A problem.  I made a couple of big plastic garbage cans into rain barrels.  Another problem, and that's where it all starts to get bogged down.  They have to be cleaned; by hand.  It takes time and effort.  I "get" to do most of it.  Okay, it was my idea to go greener.

Have you ever tried to scrub out a 30 gallon plastic can, with the inside covered in algae?  No matter how quickly I emptied it out to water my garden pots and containers, it still got algae stains.  I didn't want to use chemicals to stop it, I was supposed to be "green" remember?  But I got that problem solved, the same thing you put in bird baths.  Smart huh?  Move on to the next problem. 

I also started to use an inside compost bin, so I didn't have to keep running outside to the big composter.  You know, save some time and not have to get dressed to go outside.  The little bin is plastic and has a filter in the lid.  I didn't empty it once for a week back in August.  I'll never forget to empty it again. 

You can't imagine the smell when I opened the bin after a week, to add a banana peel.  With the horrible smell came this huge cloud of gnats.  Gnats!  Where did they come from?  This thing has a filter; what happened?  Those darn gnats burst out all at once and straight at my face! 

I had a mini freak out, squealing and brushing them away like a madwoman.  The worst thing was I opened it in the house!  Disgusting!  I had to swat bunches of them off the wall.  I opened the sliding door and shooed out as many as I could.  I got a spray bottle of water and fire hosed tons of them.  Remember, I'm trying not to use chemicals, so no bug spray.  Lots of them landed back in the bin, so I ran outside with it and laid it on the deck.   I rushed back inside and slammed the door shut.  I swatted gnats for another hour, cleaned the wall and swept the floor.  The rest of them disappeared or died of natural causes.   Now didn't that save a lot of time?