Organize the Recycling?

Thursday was recycling day for us. I started recycling when we lived in Ohio where there were drop-off places you could easily drop off your recyclables. Where we live now, there are drop-off trucks at particular sites on particular days. Recycling is fantastic for us because it means we only have one garbage can worth of garbage a week, it's good for the environment, and it's free!

We used to just drop our recyclables in an old clothes hamper we had laying around. Now, though, unlike in Ohio, we have to sort our recyclables. This wasn't a big deal for me to do when dropping everything off until it started to get cold. I'd rather just dump and go! I started sorting our recyclables in plastic grocery bags and leaving those lying on the floor of the garage. Well, dear hubby wasn't too hot on that idea. I can't say I blame him. =) That was when he came up with a free and very basic idea. Check it out:

My dear hubby labeled clothes pins so we'd know which type recyclable goes in which bag. The hamper on the floor is for our cardboard, paper, and glass items. We bag the paper and glass and leave them in the hamper because they can be so heavy. Our system isn't pretty, but it's working quite well for us. We plan at some point to pick up bins to hang in our garage, but that's way down on our priority list.

Hmmm, this gives me an idea.... Maybe instead of my coming up with ideas of how to organize everything around here, I should have the kids and my hubby come up with their own ideas. Maybe if I let them get in on the action, they'll be more likely to help me keep everything organized.

I'll have to test that theory...