Composting is an ancestral practice that is experiencing renewed interest today. Ecological and economical, it transforms garden waste into a valuable natural fertilizer. But how do you go about obtaining quality compost? And what are the essential steps to follow for successful home composting for better waste management?

What are the basics of composting

Practicing more composting will reduce the need for dumpster rentals! To successfully compost, it is crucial to understand the basic principles. First of all, it is essential to choose a suitable location for your compost pile. Opt for a place sheltered from the wind and accessible to facilitate the regular addition of waste. Also make sure the soil is permeable to promote air and water circulation.

Next, you need to know the essential elements to include in your compost. Green garden waste such as grass clippings, fresh leaves and vegetable scraps provide nitrogen needed for decomposition. Brown garden waste, such as dry branches, dead leaves and straw, provides carbon.

The stages of home composting

To obtain quality compost, it is essential to maintain a balance between green and brown waste. As a general rule, it is recommended to add an equal amount of green and brown waste to your compost pile. Alternate layers to allow even decomposition and avoid bad odors.

Aerate the compost regularly

Good ventilation is essential to boost the decomposition process. Stir your compost pile regularly using a fork or rake to oxygenate the microorganisms responsible for decomposition. Also be sure to maintain adequate humidity by lightly watering your compost if necessary.

Monitor compost temperature

Temperature is a key indicator of the effectiveness of your composting. Ideally, the compost temperature should be between 50°C and 65°C to facilitate rapid and efficient decomposition. Use a compost thermometer to monitor the temperature and adjust if necessary by adding scraps or aerating the pile.

The benefits of home composting

Home composting in Georgia has many advantages both environmentally and practically. By transforming your garden waste into a nutrient-rich natural fertilizer, you reduce your ecological footprint by limiting the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Even more, compost enriches the soil by improving its structure and fertility, which promotes plant growth and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.

To preserve the environment

One of the main advantages of home composting is its contribution to preserving the environment. By reducing the amount of organic waste sent to landfill, you help limit greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, produced by the anaerobic decomposition of waste.

Better still, composting helps preserve natural resources by recycling the nutrients contained in garden waste.

Improve soil health

By enriching the soil with organic matter, compost improves its structure and fertility. The soil becomes more aerated, which promotes the circulation of air, water and nutrients to the plant roots.

In addition, compost acts as a natural fertilizer, providing plants with essential nutrients for their growth, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. This reduces the use of chemical fertilizers, which is beneficial for both the environment and human health.

Home composting is actually a simple practice accessible to all that allows you to recycle garden waste while helping to preserve the environment. Just follow a few basic principles and invest a little time and effort to obtain a quality natural fertilizer to nourish your plants and enrich your garden.

Why waste management is so catastrophic in New Mexico

Only 16% of household waste is recycled in New Mexico. At issue: an organization of sorting and recycling that is far from optimal.

Misconceptions die hard. Thus, 42% of people questioned by waste management experts think that sorting actions are “a way to reduce waste production”. Half of household waste sorted in 2020. This objective set by the state of New Mexico seems completely out of reach. In fact, the share of household waste (excluding compost) recycled only rose to 23% in 2018 in the state of NM, compared to 17% in 2008, according to figures from EPA.

New Mexico is below the American average. It is notably ranked behind California (47% of household waste recycled). Faced with this overwhelming observation, onsumer associations denounced the management problems and the lack of information on the subject, in a recent study.

Managing organizations do not meet their waste management objectives

The polluter pays policy does not work, according to this website. Thus, within the framework of extended producer responsibility (EPR), the latter is responsible for managing the end of life of its products. In particular, it can use eco-organizations responsible for managing recyclable waste in communities.

But they do not achieve their objectives, even after using dumpster rentals. Regarding the recycling of packaging and glass, eco-organizations meet their specifications in, respectively, 25% and 10% of communities, notes the association. The company Eco-Emballages, for example, is supposed to recycle 75% of household packaging in 2019. It has very little chance of achieving this, estimates the EPA.

In addition, infrequent controls on waste producers encourage fraud: 5 to 10% of waste (in terms of weight) is not subject to any contribution.

And the sanctions would not be dissuasive enough according to the consumer association. They provide for an administrative fine, not always applicable, of up to 50,000 dollars for eco-organizations that do not meet their objectives.

A poorly informed consumer

Out of 80 products with sorting instructions analyzed by the association, only 20% have a pictogram, supposed to help NM residents have good sorting reflexes (a guide has also been published on this logo). In addition, 81% of products with the pictogram add other sorting logos, causing confusion for the consumer.

Therefore, it is difficult to navigate among “confusing” tri or green logos. A striking example: 59% of New Mexico people wrongly think that the “green dot” means recyclable, according to a survey of 632 people, conducted by the association.

Also, only 6% of the 80 products analyzed by the association indicate the recyclable part of the packaging.

Information campaigns miss their targets

The consumer association has calculated that only one dollar per inhabitant is devoted to prevention to encourage them to make the right choices, which is far from enough. Waste management expertshe investigated the reception of prevention messages by consumers. Only 40% of those questioned said they had already seen a waste prevention message.

More serious, misconceptions die hard. Thus, 41% of those questioned think that sorting actions are “a way to reduce waste production”.

Exploding costs for consumers

All these shortcomings are increasingly costly for New Mexico households. The latter saw their billing for the treatment of their waste (in the form of taxes in particular and indirectly on the prices of products subject to EPR) increase considerably, going from 1.25 to 1.75 billion dollars per year between 2008 and 2012.

If you really want to keep the area around your home clean and hygienic, then proper waste management is an essential. There are a lot of different ways to keep it clean, but if you want your things to be really well organized, then you should think about hiring a decent dumpster bin that is large enough to accommodate everything that you need to toss away.

Renting a dumpster bin is, without a doubt, a significant financial expenditure. What if it’s something you only need once? Let’s imagine you’re hosting a family get-together at your house, and you need somewhere to put all of the trash that always accumulates as a result. When you have a lot of trash and nowhere to put it, renting a dumpster is your best option.

You’re Hosting A Party

Hosting a party is one of the situations in which you can find it necessary to secure the services of a dumpster. Your home is sure to produce a significant amount of rubbish whenever it hosts a gathering of any kind, be it a family get-together or a weekend BBQ party. Because you are the host of a party, it is important that you keep your space in the appropriate condition.

Don’t underestimate the amount of trash that a get-together with family and friends may produce. If you don’t get rid of them correctly, they might have a harmful impact on the environment and the people around you. Your guests won’t have an excuse for dumping their trash in any other place because dumpsters are enormous and clearly visible.

You’re Working On A Home Renovation Project

Having your home remodeled is a physically and emotionally exhausting effort, but it can also be a dirty one. Among the debris you’ll create are hazardous materials like metal sheets, wood boards, and splintered nails. Anyone involved in the project should be protected from harm.

In order to keep everyone safe, it is necessary to properly dispose of the waste that is generated. Proper garbage management is made easier with the help of a reliable dumpster company. It is more often than you might imagine for people to be wounded on building projects that have been poorly handled.

You’re Moving To A New House

Moving from one home to another is a laborious task that requires a significant amount of work. A surprising amount of homeowners are caught aback by the amount of clutter that may be found strewn around their properties. It is strongly recommended that you get rid of these things rather than carrying them to your new home with you.

During the moving process, renting a dumpster might help you in maintaining a higher structure. The most crucial benefit is that it helps lighten the load you have to carry about while moving.

You’re Disposing Of Water-Damaged Items After A Storm

Disasters such as storm surge and a hurricane result in more unwanted waste being brought into your home. In addition to this, some of the goods in your home will get water damage as a result of these. There are two distinct approaches to taking with goods that have been harmed by water. You can also have them restored if you are able to do so. On the other hand, if they are damaged beyond the point of repair, they must be thrown away immediately.

Items that have been damaged by water have the potential to become the origin of a severe mold infestation. Mold is a prevalent problem in homes, and because it may cause major respiratory concerns, it needs to be treated as soon as possible.

You Have Waste That the Garbage Collector Can’t Handle

Garbage trucks are only allowed to remove certain items from your home due to health and safety regulations. It’s possible that your local garbage collection won’t take some of the items you wish to get rid of because of the location you’re in. You may find out what these are by visiting the website of the agency in your city that is responsible for handling rubbish collection.

Garbage collectors, in the vast majority of instances, will not take large, broken items such as televisions and refrigerators. You can make things simpler for yourself by renting a dumpster bin to use for throwing these things out.

If a hauler is to invest $25k + for a compartmentalized truck and if a recycling center is to be set up for $1.5M+ they need to be used.

The more folks on a collection route that recycle, the lower the cost per stop. This is especially true in rural areas in Florida that may have only 7 or 8 stops per mile as opposed to hundreds in the city.

Also to save precious landfill space, there may need to be a subsidy to offset the costs associated with recycling. This is market rational, not just Eco-friendly, when the avoided costs of land filling are considered.

Wouldn’t it make sense to just pass along that reduced cost to the consumers?

If it cost you $5 for each bag of mixed garbage to be hauled away, and $3 for each bag of separated recyclables to be hauled away, which would you choose?

Also, people could see why recycling can make sense, because they are saving their own money when they do it, rather than just complying (or not) with the new regulations. Most people these days look for recycling bins before throwing bottles, cans, etc. If the option to recycle is available, most people will take it, the money saved is just icing on the cake.

Florida Recycling

 
In rural parts of North eastern Florida, only a few of the local haulers offer recycling, such as the Orange Park waste haulers.

At this point for many of the haulers it is cheaper to collect only mixed trash @$2 a bag than to offer recycling. Consequently we’d guess about 15% of the total solid waste is being recycled. This includes commercial and bottle returns for deposit.

We need to get to about 30% by 2,000. To get the haulers to initiate recycling we have to assure them that the system will be used. By the way “we” refers to the local solid waste district. It will be much more expensive to collect recyclables. Either dual purpose trucks will have to be purchased or 2 runs will need to be made. And you can’t compress recyclables like you can mixed garbage.
 
What makes recycling viable is that rather than pay to unload the collected materials, the haulers may be able to get paid for it, reducing pollution in Florida in the process.

So it may cost $50 to collect a ton of trash and $120 to collect a ton of recyclables. But it cost $70 to dump the trash and they may get paid $20 for the ton of recyclables. Net of $120 for trash and $100 for recyclables.

How does recycling help waste management

Well without mandatory recycling, say 30% of customers don’t recycle. That raises the cost of collection of recyclables to say $160 per ton. Same mileage and almost same time for a run, but yield 30% less. By the way the figures we are using are our best guestimates without doing some serious calculations. These have been done in the past, we just don’t have them at our fingertips.

John Tierney’s Times article relied on sophistry to put across its message, replete with distortion and innuendo and rife with omissions. So sloppy was the reporting that by all rights the article should be ignored rather than dignified with a response.

Yet the truth must be defended, dignity be damned. Here, then, to get beyond the Times’ smoke screen, Rethink Paper responds to The New York Times’ untruths, skewed facts, unfounded assertions, and other distortions.

If overflowing landfills were the only environmental concern, Tierney’s argument might begin to make sense. Yet recycling addresses a host of environmental problems that Tierney ignored, including, for instance, the loss of forests–wild ecosystems, not tree-farms–logged to supply pulp for virgin-wood paper. Today almost half of all trees cut end up as paper, and the percentage is increasing.

A popular video game with yearly updates, FIFA 21 is getting released in two weeks and fans from all over the world have ants in their pants, as expectations build up. FIFA 21 can be downloaded online to play on a PC or mobile device, or it can also be played on playstation.

This is a good opportunity to ask ourselves about the risks of gaming addiction and how this could potentially harm your mental health, or your children’s mental health.

The risk of playing of video games

Excessive playing of video games can pose a danger to young people. Establishing some rules is essential to protect them. Zoom in on the signs of this form of dependence, possible care and prevention solutions.

Audience most sensitive to video game addiction

It is mainly young people who are exposed to video game addiction. However, cases of severe pathological addiction are quite rare.

The greatest risks of addiction concern network games and in particular multi-player role-playing games, like FIFA21. It is considered that there is addiction to video games when the player engages in this type of occupation excessively, that is to say from about thirty hours per week, much more than the time devoted by hardcore gamers – or big players – to their passion, namely between 18 and 20 hours per week.

Spotting a video game addiction

There are certain signs that should alert parents, as the symptoms of video game addiction are usually always the same.

For example, suddenly declining school results, a lack of interest in any other type of activity but also in social relations (friends and family). In fact, playing video games as part of an addiction takes up most of the time, since the subject is unable to reduce the time he devotes to games.

This to the detriment of other activities that he was passionate about, such as sport, cinema, music, the visual arts or simply going out with friends. The youngsters tend to isolate themselves and no longer wish to leave their home.

When you see changes in behavior in your child, it is important to investigate the source. This can be totally foreign to the passion for video games.

Video game addiction: the risks

We can see repercussions on his sleep because the addicted player tends to play even at night, thus shortening his rest time. Sometimes addiction can also affect their diet.

A fragile person who has an addiction to video games risks, in the absence of support, sooner or later to find himself in a state of mental suffering and great loneliness. This results in obvious discomfort. In rare cases, a video game addict can become extremely sad or aggressive.

If nothing is done to enable him to break with his addiction, the young person is gradually exposed to school failure and to desocialization. He can, in the more or less long term, lose his self-esteem.

Video game addiction: adopting the right reaction

Video game addiction can have significant repercussions on the mental and physical health of young pathological gamers, but it is still uncommon. Reacting as quickly as possible is essential to limit the impact of this dependence. The gambling addict cannot limit himself. On the other hand, the control of the time spent playing must be carried out by the parents.

It is essential that they establish a dialogue with their child, during which video games must be approached without taboos. This is also a good solution to take an interest in this very current phenomenon and show your child that you share his interest. Above all, it is necessary to avoid power struggles.

A video game like FIFA 21 can be positive if it is perfectly suited to the age of the child or teenager, and the time allotted to it is reasonable.

Its practice should not interfere with family life, schooling, sleep time and leisure time. It can also be an activity to share with the family. When the young person is playing alone, it is desirable that the space reserved for video games be located in areas of the dwelling reserved for the whole family. In this way, the young person does not find himself isolated in front of his screen and it is easier to limit the time spent on this activity.

Parents in need of their child’s early addiction to video games can turn to their doctor. The young person can then be taken care of by a psychologist specializing in addictological practices. This is useful if the youngster is a pathological gambler, which is fortunately uncommon.

In fact, addictive behavior is much more common in adults than in young people. Be that as it may, when we are dealing with an extreme case, it is better to opt for the referral of the young person to a specialist in the behavioral problem of adolescents and children.

Preventing video game addiction involves establishing real, but not drastic, rules: there is no question of banning access to video games. Thirty to sixty minutes a day, depending on the age of the child or teenager, is perfectly reasonable and safe play time.

Just when tourists are fleeing the chilly north to get their fix of sunshine, some of Florida’s famous beaches are being flooded not with visitors, but with polluted water from the interior of the state cities.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the state’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship – protecting the air, water and land. The vision of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is to create strong community partnerships, safeguard Florida’s natural resources and enhance its ecosystems. The agency works in cooperation with the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FS/AWWA), the Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Educational System.

The Florida office is dedicated to curbing the widespread contamination of Florida waters by sewage, fertilizer, and manure. This pollution, which contains high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen that skew the natural balance of aquatic ecosystems, results in toxic algae outbreaks that cover waterways with green slime and cause rashes, breathing problems, stomach disorders, and even death.

Groundwater in the Floridan Aquifer is the source for more than 1,000 springs in North and Central Florida. It also provides water for over 90 percent of the people who live there. Even though this water lies hundreds of feet below the ground, it is unfortunately not entirely protected from sources of pollution at the surface.

Research suggests that, even at safe levels, air pollutants can harm your health. By 2010, the Clean Air Act of 1970 called for the U.S. to reduce total emissions of six principal air pollutants by more than 41 percent. From a recent official report Florida has a water pollution problem, and some Tampa Bay companies are among the worst offenders. In the last 21 months, according to Environment Florida, polluters have violated the Clean Air Act a number of times.

This is why it is so important to have waste management services in place in Florida, so that they can help residents and businesses with their junk removal and hazardous materials disposal requirements. They can rent a bin or a roll-off dumpster container so that they can discard all their junk in one go. Note that is case of hazardous materials, state and federal laws may apply so such toxic substance that could be dangerous to the ecosystem.

The Florida Senate has passed a bill that would require the state Department of Environmental Protection to promptly notify the public after a pollution spill occurs. Phosphorus pollution is surging in Florida waterways and across North America according to scientists. A new study finds coastal waters and water supplies along a fifth of U.S. coasts are vulnerable to pollution from hidden underground water transfers between oceans and land.

The Suwannee River Basin is North Florida’s most egregious example of agricultural-induced nutrient pollution and algae proliferation. Intensive agriculture and silviculture are the dominant reasons while pollution and hazardous waste accumulation is increasing. Since enterococcus bacteria are indicators of the same types of pollution as fecal coliform bacteria, this did not affect the safety of Florida Residents. At this time sampling in the northern parts of the state is also suspended during the winter months, November through February.

Whether you know Kentucky as “Bluegrass State” for rolling hills and down-home music, “Bourbon Country” for its distilleries in Bardstown and Frankfort, “Horse Country” for its racing parks and breeder farms in Lexington, Louisville and Keeneland, there’s a nice Kentucky hotel to fit your travel needs. So come and visit!

Air Quality

The American Lung Association’s 2019 “State of the Air” report found the Louisville/Bardstown metro region ranked 26th as the most polluted city in the nation for ozone (smog) pollution. The region experienced more high ozone days and retained the ranking it received last year. According to the Air Quality Index, Kentucky’s overall air quality is good, although people with respiratory illnesses should be aware that Louisville and other Ohio Valley cities and towns can be hard on the lungs in the peak of summer.

Like most states, much of Kentucky’s pollution comes from familiar sources such as industrial activity and transportation. However, some regional pollution sources, such as mining, cause potential health hazards. Kentucky is number one on a list of the states with the most toxic air pollution from power plants. The Natural Resources Defense Council analyzed the data self-reported by industries in the toxicity report.

The practice of surface mining coal in the state of Kentucky is devastating to our health, environment, and ultimately our quality of life. Surface coal mining sucks money out of our state while destroying the mountains and polluting the water. Coal ash pollution from a pond at the Brown Power Station seeps into Herrington Lake according to the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection. This segment is part of The State of Science, a series featuring science stories from public radio stations across the United States.

There are important uncertainties associated with using models to predict current air quality. Scorecard risk estimates are based on EPA exposure estimates and provide a perspective on the magnitude and sources of hazardous air pollution problems. Note they are not definitive evaluations of health risk in a particular locale.

Air pollution in Louisville is controlled by both laws and regulations. Laws are the acts, statutes, and ordinances passed by elected officials to govern an issue. For example, the Clean Air Act is a federal law that governs air pollution. Regarding the State of Kentucky’s Environment Executive Summary, the Environmental Quality Commission has been preparing the “State of Kentucky’s Environment: A Report of Progress and Problems.” The report was mandated by the legislature to assess environmental trends and conditions in the state.

That is why it is important the both the state and the residents learn how to better deal with waste management and junk removal. If unwanted garbage and litter is removed more efficiently, this will improve the quality of the air. People can use dumpster rentals in Louisville in order to dispose of all such items including hazardous materials that are detrimental to the environmnet.

The Air Pollution Control District monitors the local air and reports the daily air quality using the Air Quality Index as a guide. Check their site for more forecast information as well as on the AQI and on how you can be better informed about local air quality.

Water Quality

Water Quality in Kentucky is not as good as we hope. Kentucky has 13 major river basins containing over 89,400 miles of streams. More than 400 miles of streams have been designated outstanding resource waters and one hundred fourteen miles of nine streams have been designated wild rivers.

Through surface water testing around coal mines, citizens become better informed about threats to their water and their health, and are empowered to address water pollution issues. In a first stop in Benham, Ky. to meet with several members of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth who live in the area, many of them were born in the area, and thought pollution had increased over time.

Based on federal water quality standards, the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Division of Water sets the uses designated for Beargrass Creek and monitors its progress in meeting specific water quality standards. Based on these standards, the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW) classifies all three forks of Beargrass Creek as not meeting the minimum requirement.