When on water with canoe we also clean as we go by diving for garbage below surface using a mask and snorkel. It is amazing finds we have from these excursions under water. One of first times we did this, we found an expensive diving mask in about 30 feet of water – enough incentive to continue this practice! We have found antique bottles, jewelry, fishing lures and reels.

It feels very good to clear up a beach of shards of broken glass hiding just below surface before an unwary swimmer splashes into it. It does not, however, feel as good to find a large fish hook by imbedding it in bottom of your foot. Take heart in knowing you have done a good thing as your expletive echoes off far mountainside. Imagine an innocent child stepping on that hook instead of you and decide if it is worth taking time...

Some kitchen waste disposal units tend to put unnecessary pressure on overtaxed sewage plants. A much better option is to practice composting or vermiculture methods instead. Composting organic waste reduces household trash by approximately 30%. Go one step further by reusing various plastic bags to isolate smelly meat, bones and pet waste. By controlling odors in garbage, bag will not have to be put out on curb as often.

So, imagine that if your waste and recycling was now half size that it typically was before. That means in theory waste pickup service would decrease costs by 50%, landfill would be receiving half of what it used to, fewer trips to recycling depot, less pollution…

Well you get picture. It is easy to make a difference and we can all start at home. Right where we are.