How much recycling should you keep around? (those just in case situations) (plastic, oil)
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Tonight, I came home and one of the cats was playing with a mouse.
My plastic recycling hadn't been done yet, so I grabbed a tall, large mouth jar from the box, trapped the poor rodent underneath, deposited him outside on a porch, and then dropped said container into the trash, its recycling value much degraded. I mean, I certainly wasn't going to wash it after that.
A rare occasion? Perhaps but then again, it is like when Mom had me get a dead squirrel off her yard. I double bagged two plastic shopping bags into an empty laundry detergent container, lifted by shovels Rotten, the (long dead) dying squirrel into the bags, tied the knot, and sent him off to the next world in some dumpster.
Tonight, I came home and one of the cats was playing with a mouse.
My plastic recycling hadn't been done yet, so I grabbed a tall, large mouth jar from the box, trapped the poor rodent underneath, deposited him outside on a porch, and then dropped said container into the trash, its recycling value much degraded. I mean, I certainly wasn't going to wash it after that.
A rare occasion? Perhaps but then again, it is like when Mom had me get a dead squirrel off her yard. I double bagged two plastic shopping bags into an empty laundry detergent container, lifted by shovels Rotten, the (long dead) dying squirrel into the bags, tied the knot, and sent him off to the next world in some dumpster.
So, how much?
Why would the plastic jar's recycling "value" be degraded? You didn't pick up a dead mouse. Trust me, it would be touching a lot of other pretty icky recycled materials before it went to its final form. Everyone doesn't wash their recyclables absolutely clean, you know. Personally, I put all my recycling in a large container provided by the waste removal people, which they pick up weekly. However, if I have a lot of boxes from online ordering, I stack and store them in the cargo van until I can get to the nearest transfer station - I had pretty much a full van today. Amazon has been busy at my house!
Well, I take my recycling into town for two main reasons.
First of all, I'M CHEAP!, when it comes out to paying extra per month to let some company give me an extra bin.
Secondly, however, going to the recycling center keeps me in touch with people to a degree. I don't live in the city but out on a ranch in the country and I'd rather not up the anty on my isolation from a community.
As far as the degradation, there are those diseases we fear from mice and the like. My hands didn't come into contact with Mr. Mouse; never the less, I did wash them twice. Similarly, I view the container as once touched it is to be dumped. Maybe it is from the girl friend who drank from the soda can with a dead mouse in it a few weeks ago, maybe it is from something else, but once touched, it moves into a different category.
Well, I take my recycling into town for two main reasons.
First of all, I'M CHEAP!, when it comes out to paying extra per month to let some company give me an extra bin.
Secondly, however, going to the recycling center keeps me in touch with people to a degree. I don't live in the city but out on a ranch in the country and I'd rather not up the anty on my isolation from a community.
As far as the degradation, there are those diseases we fear from mice and the like. My hands didn't come into contact with Mr. Mouse; never the less, I did wash them twice. Similarly, I view the container as once touched it is to be dumped. Maybe it is from the girl friend who drank from the soda can with a dead mouse in it a few weeks ago, maybe it is from something else, but once touched, it moves into a different category.
Well, I don't pay extra for the recycling bin; it's one of the reasons I like my waste removal company. I live in a rural area too - I'm 25 miles from the nearest city and it's 8 miles just to the transfer station. If you want to dump a "touched" plastic jar, that's your choice; however, the processes that it will undergo during recycling (including melting it down) will certainly remove all of the mouse ickies.
Tonight, I came home and one of the cats was playing with a mouse.
My plastic recycling hadn't been done yet, so I grabbed a tall, large mouth jar from the box, trapped the poor rodent underneath, deposited him outside on a porch, and then dropped said container into the trash, its recycling value much degraded. I mean, I certainly wasn't going to wash it after that.
A rare occasion? Perhaps but then again, it is like when Mom had me get a dead squirrel off her yard. I double bagged two plastic shopping bags into an empty laundry detergent container, lifted by shovels Rotten, the (long dead) dying squirrel into the bags, tied the knot, and sent him off to the next world in some dumpster.
So, how much?
I have to say, you were a LOT more calm that I am when I encounter mice!! (Of course, the ones I "encounter" are typically dead, thanks to my kitties, although I never witness the murder itself, just the corpse the next morning. )
But I am wondering, how did the mouse get IN? This is a brand new house, right? The builders left holes somewhere?!! I would be scouting around every nook and cranny of the house making SURE I plugged any and all holes (or I would call the builder to come do it!).
Or is your kitty indoor/outdoor and he/she maybe brought the mouse inside?
Quote:
Originally Posted by TamaraSavannah
As far as the degradation, there are those diseases we fear from mice and the like. My hands didn't come into contact with Mr. Mouse; never the less, I did wash them twice. Similarly, I view the container as once touched it is to be dumped. Maybe it is from the girl friend who drank from the soda can with a dead mouse in it a few weeks ago, maybe it is from something else, but once touched, it moves into a different category.
Not to mention what ickies reside within the recycling container, recycling center, transport method and final processor's intake area. This is why our community accepts oil soaked pizza boxes. They say the value of oil soaked content is diluted when combined as a whole with all other material so much so that there is only a negligible purchase price reduction. And, that reduce is nothing compared to the landfill cost for that same box if dumped as trash.
I have to say, you were a LOT more calm that I am when I encounter mice!! (Of course, the ones I "encounter" are typically dead, thanks to my kitties, although I never witness the murder itself, just the corpse the next morning. )
But I am wondering, how did the mouse get IN? This is a brand new house, right? The builders left holes somewhere?!! I would be scouting around every nook and cranny of the house making SURE I plugged any and all holes (or I would call the builder to come do it!).
Or is your kitty indoor/outdoor and he/she maybe brought the mouse inside?
That is on my mind as well which brings me to the next step.
Mouse did not survive the night and is dead on the porch. I am wondering if I should just sweep him off or get small tongs and drop him into the scorpion jar, a large plastic spice jar filled with rubbing alcohol that contains the invaders.
My exterminators come out once a month and I was planning on them to check the attic but this is going in the report for sure.
The mouse might have made it in through the garage. That is my main way in and out and last night, I noticed deer tracks right up to the door. He might have come in when I've gone out to do the Christmas lights for on past times, I have noticed raccoon tracks coming up to the door. In any event to how he got in, boy, did he have a welcoming committee!
Quote:
WHAT ON EARTH?!!!
About the girl friend who drank from the soda can with a dead mouse in it. The can was open, she was thirsty, she didn't check it first, and when she saw the dead mouse at the bottom, all her microbiology education came back to her and she freaked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by guidoLaMoto
But she didn't catch a disease, did she?
We're not quite as delicate as some may think.
Well, her first step was 4 shots of strong alcohol.
That is on my mind as well which brings me to the next step.
Mouse did not survive the night and is dead on the porch. I am wondering if I should just sweep him off or get small tongs and drop him into the scorpion jar, a large plastic spice jar filled with rubbing alcohol that contains the invaders.
My exterminators come out once a month and I was planning on them to check the attic but this is going in the report for sure.
The mouse might have made it in through the garage. That is my main way in and out and last night, I noticed deer tracks right up to the door. He might have come in when I've gone out to do the Christmas lights for on past times, I have noticed raccoon tracks coming up to the door. In any event to how he got in, boy, did he have a welcoming committee!
About the girl friend who drank from the soda can with a dead mouse in it. The can was open, she was thirsty, she didn't check it first, and when she saw the dead mouse at the bottom, all her microbiology education came back to her and she freaked.
Well, her first step was 4 shots of strong alcohol.
Mice can enter a dwelling through a hole as small as a dime. The first thing I would do is a really good examination of all interior and exterior walls (especially corners and places where walls meet doors and windows) and caulk up any openings you might find, no matter how small. Even new construction can have tiny crevices in the framing and siding, and mice are quick to take advantage in cold weather.
Mice can enter a dwelling through a hole as small as a dime. The first thing I would do is a really good examination of all interior and exterior walls (especially corners and places where walls meet doors and windows) and caulk up any openings you might find, no matter how small. Even new construction can have tiny crevices in the framing and siding, and mice are quick to take advantage in cold weather.
Well, that is what the exterminator is paid to do and will have to do on the next visit.......which may be quite soon since the mouse is rather in violation of contract.
EDIT: A thing I will say about my "automatic" decision to use the large mouth jar for this. That goes back to my Marine Biology collection days. One uses a large plastic jar like a Fiesta spice jar, https://www.fiestaspices.com/wp-cont...16-600x600.jpg , dumps their small specimens into the rubbing alcohol during the day, then takes them out one by one that night in the lab.
OF COURSE, one should ensure that jar is empty. If one has to handle something like a tarantula or the like, it isn't nice to use the horseradish container on it.
Last edited by TamaraSavannah; 12-28-2017 at 08:56 AM..
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