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Tuesday is Trash Day

By
Real Estate Agent with DFW FINE PROPERTIES 0506509

 

Tuesday Evening Musings

 

Tuesday is trash day. In my community, the trash collectors comes once a week and picks up the green can (for anything but recyclables); the black can for recyclables only. 

 

I'M SIMPLY AMAZED

From week-to-week these cans are full to the brim. Why do people have so much trash? Sure, I can understand at times there could be more; yet the amount of trash picked up week-to-week, month-to-month, year-by-year seems to grow in size. 

 

CYCLES

This is not a new observation for me. I noticed that even when the job market was at its lowest point and people were out of work years ago, the trash cans flowed with garbage. Do people really need to dispose as much as they do or do they need to stop buying so much or are we wasting more? It doesn't seem to matter how much money people make, trash comes as a result of being human and quantity doesn't really matter - or does it? 

 

Excess trash fills up the landfill. Who benefits?

 

RICH PEOPLE

When I lived and worked in Denmark, Maine back in the late 80's and early 90's, I visited the landfill often with a sweet little old lady who I wanted to help because over there, one has to deliver their own trash. She told me that the richest man in Denmark owned the landfill. I was amazed and surprised.

 

About a year ago I went to Puerto Morelose in Mexico on a retreat and met a woman whose roots also came from Chicago, like mine. Of course, we didn't know each other but in a conversation with the group from the retreat, we talked about what our parents did when we grew up. She told me her father owned the junk yard and they were the richest people in the country! I was glad I met her because she could speak Spanish and that helped me when we went into the village to eat or shop. I asked her how she learned to speak Spanish so well and she told me she started traveling around the world when she was 16 years old and she learned to speak multiple languages.

 

I thought about my own upbringing and how hard my father worked for the Union and how many sacrifices my parents made to send us to private schools. We never had vacations and never in a million years (back then) did I ever think a junk man's daughter was wealthy and could travel all around the world at such an early age.

 

In conclusion, they say, one man's junk is another man's treasure, and I have to say, there must be a lot of truth to that statement! I ponder the question, deep in thought; and now I'm thinking, I need to change my habits. It's no wonder that people struggle to retire in America if they were like me, filling up trash cans week-to-week, year-after-year....

 

©Patricia Feager 8/4/2015

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dfw fine properties

PATRICIA FEAGER, REALTOR®
DFW FINE PROPERTIES
3575 LONE STAR CIRCLE SUITE 315
FORT WORTH, TEXAS 76177

Email Me
                                  

                                     

MBA (University of Dallas)
BA
(Bachelors of Arts & Science)
Paralegal (Southeastern Career Institute)
Associates (3) (College of Lake County)
KU (University of Kansas)

CERTIFICATIONS

CRS (Certified Residential Specialist)
SRES (Certified Senior Residential Specialist)
PSA (Certified Pricing Strategies; Mastering the CMA)
CRS (Certified Military Relocation Specialist)
RENE (Real Estte Negotitions Expert)

"With self-discipline most anything is possible." --- Theodore Roosevelt 

 

 

 

  

Comments (45)

Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

We put much more in the recycle bin than in the trash bags.

 

Aug 05, 2015 05:31 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

 

Aug 08, 2015 10:44 AM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Patricia, guilty as charged with generating so much trash! Enjoy your day!

Aug 08, 2015 11:04 PM
Sandy Padula & Norm Padula, JD, GRI
HomeSmart Realty West & Florida Realty Investments - , CA
Presence, Persistence & Perseverance

Patricia Feager, MBA, GRI, Cert Negotiations Expert, Military Relo Prof That is funny; you living in Maine. I lived in Orono back in the late 60's. I love these quait smal Maine villages. Trash? Everyone creates it and it is our responsibility to minimize it.

Aug 08, 2015 11:19 PM
Kristin Johnston - REALTOR®
RE/MAX Platinum - Waukesha, WI
Giving Back With Each Home Sold!

I am so glad that I didnt miss your post, thanks to Kathy's weekly summary!

Aug 08, 2015 11:29 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

A question for the ages, Patricia! I see bins simply overflowing week to week in my neighborhood, as well, and have often wondered what's in them. Ours is never more than half full. The only bin we fill up is the recycling one because that one is picked up only every other week and I'm a huge recycler.

Aug 09, 2015 01:11 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

I put as much as possible in the recycle bins, and never come close to filling my trash barrel.  Well, unless we have had a party or done some remodel work in the home, etc.  It doesn't take long to fill a trash bag though!

Aug 09, 2015 01:51 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Patricia Feager, MBA, GRI, Cert Negotiations Expert, Military Relo Prof 

A very thoughtful post on a somewhat dirty subject. LOL.

Seems to me the packaging these days for so many products we buy gets bigger and bigger relative to the size of the product, which means more trash. And so much of it seems unnecessary. More room for advertising? The good thing, I suppose, is the recycling is becoming more prevalent and easy to do. It's bit business

Jeff

Aug 09, 2015 10:17 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Thanks for your comments Jeff Dowler CRS. It was a dirty job, but somebody had to do it! LOL 

I have to agree, packaging has grown out of of control and the bigger the box, the more it costs to ship. Plus more people are buying on line and having packages shipped than when I was kid and my mother dragged five kids to the stores with her and we all carried grocery bags! As you say, recycling has become more prevalent. My fear is that with this global trend we'll be paying for our trash by the pound and we'll have to bring our own bags to stores to fill them up ourselves. My daughter lives in Europe and that's what they do over there. Even worse, stores have limited hours. Where she lives, no store stays open 24 hours a day. We have become an over-population of shopaholics!

Aug 09, 2015 10:59 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Sharon Tara - Thanks for disposing your trash responsibly! More people should be like you!

Aug 09, 2015 11:02 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Nina Hollander - I also wonder what all is going into those trash cans from week to week in the neighborhoods. Do people seriously have that much trash to throw out? If you get a chance, I hope you'll read #17 Bob Crane's comments on his tenants! Thanks Nina.

Aug 09, 2015 11:06 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Sandy Padula and Norm Padula, JD, GRI - my daughter went to band camp at the University of Maine in Orono and she loved it!!! They have an outstanding program! Also, any road trip you take in Maine is bound to be an adventure with a lot of good site seeing too! Thanks for the info - it's great to know we have that MAINE connection!!!

Aug 09, 2015 11:09 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Call 631-805-4400 (c) - it's hard to believe city council doesn't have recycling ordinances in place. That's crazy for a condo community to not have a program set up! I guess when it comes to recycling we all have a lot more to do to save the planet, don't we?

Aug 09, 2015 11:21 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Everybody loves an honest man Wayne Martin - glad it's you! 

Aug 09, 2015 11:22 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Gita Bantwal,  Roy Kelley and Kristin Johnston, Waukesha Realtor 414-254-6647 - thank you for your great support on ActiveRain. I always look forward to hearing from you! Have a wonderful evening!

Aug 09, 2015 11:24 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Amanda S. Davidson you reminded me of myself. As a kid when roller skates or bicycles needed fixing, us kids would find parts and figure out how to get someone back on their wheels. Or we even shared spare parts to some kid who needed it. I don't think it's even possible for kids to do that anymore. Products as you say are cheaper, they cost more, and fall apart more frequently. 

Aug 09, 2015 11:28 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Kathy Streib - Heartfelt thanks for the feature Kathy! Thanks to you, others stopped by and made some good observations and comments too. That's what I love about ActiveRain - it's the people who share with each other their stories, ideas, concerns, laughs and problem solving. You're truly a great, great friend to all of us - thank you!

Aug 09, 2015 11:30 AM
Evelyn Johnston
Friends & Neighbors Real Estate - Elkhart, IN
The People You Know, Like and Trust!

It amazes me to think about all the people in the world and we each have our own stories and thought process.  We truly are, each and everyone of us, unique. For instantce, I have never ever thought about the trash in the trash can.  I have and ocassionally do recycle paper to put in the garden (so I don't have to pull so many weeds) and Larry uses the grass clippings to fertilize his vegetable garden.

Aug 09, 2015 01:39 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

I wasn't always this way.  At my past home we never put any trash out curbside. My husband took all our trash to work and dumped it there.  All our trash. No recycling done at all.  It's beyond me now that we did that. Especially now that I see how much recycling matter we produce.

Aug 10, 2015 07:44 AM
Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty
Front Gate Real Estate - Brandon, MS
601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell

We Americans consume entirely too much and recycle too little. It is disgusting on trash day to see how much goes into the landfill that could have been recycled or reused.  I organized a neighborhood recycling program in my neighborhood, but it's fee paid and most would rather throw away than dispose of properly. Thanks for posting about Trash Day and much success in bringing awareness to a trashy subject.

Aug 10, 2015 12:57 PM