Considering cutting trash service

**beks37** · 01-02-2011, 01:22 AM

As a single person I generate very little trash. I may have 1-2 bags (13 gallon kitchen size) of trash each week. I am paying between $60-$75 every 3 months for this. So, with figuring 24 bags of trash for a 12 week span at $60.....my per bag charge is $2.50! And that's on the low side.

I do own a home, so on occasion I do have yard waste, but that is usually very minimal as I don't have a lot of landscaping and not many trees and bushes. Trash service in my city is not required, but they are working on having city-wide service which would be $20 a month charged to your water bill, so everyone that pays a water bill would be required to pay for trash service.

I have tossed a few options around as far as what to do with my trash. I have contacted the trash company to see if they have any options for people in my situation...like less frequent pick ups or a smaller container for a cheaper price. The only thing they did offer was to decrease the charge for my current service. This is the 3rd time that I have received a rate reduction...although by the time I am due for another rate reduction, the price has jumped right back up to what it was before....pretty useless if you ask me.

My parents are willing to let me dump my 1-2 bags of trash with them pending they have room in their trash can (and they usually do). Also, they have recycling service which gives them rewards based on the pounds of stuff they recycle. So, my additional recycle would cut down to maybe 1 bag a week of trash and the rest recycling.

Other things that I have considered...if I do go the route of buddying up with my parents, then I would need to purchase an outdoor trash can so that I don't have to keep stinky stuff in the house. I already have a small trash can that is acceptable for the recycling items.

Has anyone else quit using trash service or does anyone else have any better ideas?

**frugalfranny** · 01-02-2011, 01:34 AM

Originally Posted by beks37

I have contacted the trash company to see if they have any options for people in my situation...like less frequent pick ups or a smaller container for a cheaper price.

Has anyone else quit using trash service or does anyone else have any better ideas?

Since the trash people didn't help........create your own program....
they don't need to know what/why you do it.

YES...........I cut my service EVERY WINTER. Usually stop it about the first part of Oct. and will start it back up again anywhere from first of March to May 1.

I call them and put it on vacation!! (they even told me to have fun "down south" when I called this year............YEAH, RIGHT!! IN MY DREAMS!)

Without yard waste (weeds mainly as I have a compost pile)....I have about one bag a week............I refuse to pay the price.

While not having service I keep ANY food item.......food scraps that can't go in compost, meat trays, etc.------separate and a friend will take them.

I continue to keep all the recycle stuff and those DO get full......but I get rid of them 'eventually' in the spring.

The weather and my lawn/garden TOTALLY DICTATE when I start it back up in the spring. I wait until I have about a 10 bag (or more) backlog of weeds so I can fill the can once a week!!! But I have a fair amt. of room to keep the items too.

Have saved a LOT of $!

**beks37** · 01-02-2011, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by frugalfranny

YES...........I cut my service EVERY WINTER. Usually stop it about the first part of Oct. and will start it back up again anywhere from first of March to May 1.

I call them and put it on vacation!! (they even told me to have fun "down south" when I called this year............YEAH, RIGHT!! IN MY DREAMS!)

Good idea. I just can't justify this expense anymore.

I have about a month until my paid service runs out. I better look around and see if I have anything that needs thrown away now.

**alarosalpn** · 01-02-2011, 12:01 PM

Our trash service was $150 every 3 months...We quit using them and purchased a dump pass for $60/year! DH loads the car up once a week...The only down side is that we have to double bag the garbage cause it has to go in our trunk..we dont have a truck...still a huge savings...

**MTS04** · 01-02-2011, 01:48 PM

Yes! you can do it.

For our household of 2 we generate 1 t-shirt bag of trash per week.

We recycle and compost. Eggshells, vegetable matter go to the compost bin.
Cardboard, glass, metal, plastic (yogurt cups), styrofoam, newspaper, mail (envelopes, catalogs etc.) go to recycle.

it's a little effort that goes a long way for us.

Hope this helps.

**frugalfranny** · 01-02-2011, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by beks37

I have about a month until my paid service runs out. I better look around and see if I have anything that needs thrown away now.

That is what I do during the summer months too........have cleaned out things in my basement and all sorts of stuff.

I want that can FULL when it is picked up!!

I have been outside at almost dark picking weeds for the trash!

**MissSeetonFan** · 01-02-2011, 04:00 PM

My Mom was able to cut trash service by burning all paper products - using it as kindling, etc, composting food for the garden and sending other trash in to town with my brother who works at a hotel. He throws any trash in bags away in the dumpster there maybe once a week.

**jas** · 01-02-2011, 05:52 PM

Would do it if I could. Our trash pick up is part of the water bill
6.07 for the garbage and 3.81 for the recycle. 9.88 a month is not really all that bad I guess. We are a family of 4 and do produce a bit of trash and recycle stuff.

The city has just passed out these big trash cans on wheels for the garbage and one just like it for the recycle stuff. They can hold quite a bit of stuff each.

**handerson2005** · 01-02-2011, 06:36 PM

Ours is part of our HOA dues, so I'm not even sure how much it is here. We have a recycling program that does the same as your parents' (RecycleBank).

Since the city doesn't require trash pickup, does that mean there's a county/city dump/landfill you can go to? Where my mom lives, there are drop-off stations for trash and recycling. They can also go to the dump. Household trash (the normal stuff) is free, larger stuff (think appliances, furniture, metal, etc) has a charge associate.

**beks37** · 01-02-2011, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by handerson2005

Since the city doesn't require trash pickup, does that mean there's a county/city dump/landfill you can go to? Where my mom lives, there are drop-off stations for trash and recycling. They can also go to the dump. Household trash (the normal stuff) is free, larger stuff (think appliances, furniture, metal, etc) has a charge associate.

Yes there is a dump, but I'm not sure where it is. I know they do charge by the load there.

**madhen** · 01-02-2011, 07:39 PM

Our local "transfer station " (read: dump) doesn't charge for recycle items.

**Luckybustert** · 01-02-2011, 09:05 PM

I don't have any idea where our dump even is. We burn all of our paper and cardboard in the wood stove, and it helps but let me tell ya...if the lid of the trash can does not close by so much as a fraction of an nth they charge us for an extra can. But they can empty only half the can and that's OK? Not! My DH called them back out here to finish emptying it so many times that they now take extra care not to leave any in the can. We have a friend who discontinued his family's trash service and makes regular trips to the dump. As long as you have somewhere to keep it in the interim that doesn't stink real bad, I think it's a good way to cut the household expenses. I'm just surprised more cities haven't gotten wise to this idea and made trash service mandatory!

**Judi Dial** · 01-02-2011, 09:26 PM

We take things to the dump, once, twice or three times a week (dump is only open 3 days). There is a minimal fee for things that the town has to pay to recycle and/or get rid of, (oil, electronics, appliances, etc.) but aside from that, it's free. We have mixed paper, trash, aluminum, batteries, packing peanuts, tin cans, mixed metals, a swap shop, leaf dump, wood heap, and oil recycling, it covers almost everything!

When I was single, I was a nanny for a friend. I'd take my 1 bag a week and add it to hers, like your parents. Clean bottles I hauled to the local college, that had a glass blowing program.

Judi

**frugalfranny** · 01-03-2011, 01:06 AM

Originally Posted by Luckybustert

I'm just surprised more cities haven't gotten wise to this idea and made trash service mandatory!

It is amazing.

But a friend lives in a little town in Idaho and her trash IS mandatory but they supply the HUGE wheeled cans.........go figure.

**Sassyclass** · 01-03-2011, 10:43 AM

I refuse to live in town, our village has a contract with a trash company and they charge almost $5 a bag! If you live in the village limit you can't have any other trash service. We on the other hand don't pay a thing in the country. Our landlord has a friend who owns a local company and he picks it up for free. We live across from a recycling station and I burn all papers that have any personal info on them. Yard waste is handled by landlord. I will admit I get lazy sometimes and don't recycle, but at the same time they have people who's jobs are to sort the trash for recycling, so I don't feel too bad about it.

I say if you can add yours to your parents as long as they are willing, go for it.

Cat