Getting rich on trash?

   In the previous post I was noticing just how many different containers there are to put our trash in.  Have you taken a look at the prices on those colorful containers?  Not only are they expensive, but you might just want to read the label on the ingredients that many of these designer trash containers are made of. 

   As it turns out, there are a number of plastic trash containers, that are made from the very trash which is placed in them every day.   In years past, all of our trash was hauled away to landfills to be dumped, covered and buried to decompose at the speed of dark.

   Today, about 30-35%, of all trash is recycled, depending on what city you live in.  Of this volume, much of it is paper products, which have one of the higher percentages, at around 50%.  Of all the plastic bottles used everyday, some 40% of them are recycled back into new products.  The plastic bottles are ground up in to small pieces, cleaned and ultimately turned back in to new plastic items, such as trash bins!

   So back to the original question of “can you get rich on trash?  Well the short answer is absolutely.  If you own a trash hauling company, you can count on there always being a customer.  Of course the hard part is being large enough to attract customers and being able to hold your costs down enough to attractive in pricing, as well as service.  If you are a recycler, you can make lots of money, if you can process huge volumes of recyclable material, and have manufacturers lined up to purchase the material from you in bulk. 

  You will note, the key to making money on trash is being able to handle tons and tons of trash.  unfortunately, this typically means you must already have the financing (MONEY) in order to put together a trash business model that will end up with a profit at the end of the day.  Then, if you can increase your business (trash volume) enough, you will indeed get rich on trash.

   As for myself, I will be content to put as much recyclable material into the green bins each week, and just feel good knowing I have helped to reduce the volume of trash just being buried each week.  Currently this amounts to just over 50% of all the trash from the house.  Some weeks, a bit more.  If I can get this up to 75%, I do feel I will have made a difference.  The difference I make, may not make me richer, but it will enrich the lives of others by helping to create new jobs in recycling, and making a cleaner environment for my descendents.

   I feel richer already.

Trash everywhere and so many places to put it!

A place for every piece of trash.

   Who would have thought that garbage could be good-looking?   Well, just take a walk through any store which has items for the home and you will find a varitiy of garbage and trash cans which will decorate about any abode.  We can buy trash cans with lids, or flats, open tops, flip lids, solid sides, open web sides.  We can get trash container that are silver, blue, red, black, yellow, green, brown, and a multitude of other colors, and yes even white (the biggest seller).

   Just goes to show you that everyone can have personal trash which anyone would be happy to show off.   Personally, I still prefer the stainless steel with the flip lid for the kitchen.  After all, there is always one aspect of trash that we always have a hard time covering up!

Getting Rich on a Blog.

   Come on, you really think you can get rich on a Blog?  Well perhaps it is possible, I just have not figured out how to do so.  But, if I ever do, then after I am really rich, I will be willing to share my secrets with everyone else, for a small modest fee of course, of lets say $9.95.

     Why is it that nothing ever sells for an even number?  Why not $10.00, or $20, or even $30?  Instead we get $19.95 or $29.95.   Why is someone willing to buy something that is only a nickel less?  Oh, I would never pay Twenty Bucks for that, but it’s only $19.95. 

    But then, let us not forget about that even narrower gap of 1-cent.  That right, only $19.99!    Like that should really make a difference.

    I guess that’s the thing about human nature.  Well, at least in a country founded on the premise of being one of the largest Consumer oriented nations in the world.  After all we live to find that deal that’s just too good to pass up.

   Perhaps that is the reason I have more than one digital camera.  Ok, more than two; I mean three; Ok so it’s four digital camera’s, one 35MM film, one 110, and a 128 film camera as well.  Well I just had to get the Digital, as film was getting so expensive.  Of course I do not print any more than I did when using film, but I have lots and lots of pics on the computer should I get the urge to print. 

    Perhaps, I am just saving up pictures for use in my retirement years? 

Now what was I talking about?

Mushrooms any one?

Mushrooms any one?

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  This fall I had the chance to visit the state of Washington and do some hiking up North of Seattle.  Weather conditions just happened to be perfect for growing some mushrooms.  Only problem is, I really do not know mushrooms.  In the group of images there is one type called “Fairy Mushrooms”.  I bet you can guess which one’s they are!

Welcome 2011, Goodbye 2010, were did the decade go?

    Was the end of 2010 the end of the decade, or was it 2009?  I guess if the decade started at January 1, 2000, than January 1, 2010 would be the beginning of the next decade.  But in terms of a simple time-line, a decade is ten years, so the last decade is just the last ten years.

   I will say the last decade could be viewed as somewhat of a downer over all.  After all, we have been fighting a war, the stock market plummeted, taking retirement funds right along with it.  We saw huge companies called to big to fail who were bailed out using tax payer money.  There were hurricanes which wiped out cities, tsunamis which killed thousands untold, and volcano’s which shut down air traffic across Europe.  The last few years, we have seen some of heaviest snow fall in decades, at a time, everyone is worried about global warming.

   But, we have also seen a revival of volunteerism taking root to help those in need.  We have seen people open their hearts and homes to those who lost theirs.  We have seen that people are once again learning the lesson of “Saving for a Rainy Day”.   Learning to save, starts with learning that you need to manage your money.  A lesson many people learned the hard way this last decade.

     So how will you live the next decade?  I hope like many, you will share a bit of what you have with those who have nothing.  This may take the form of giving money to a local shelter or the community charity fund raiser.  It may also be volunteering some of you time to help out at one of the same.  Or, it may be dropping off some clothing or household items at the local Goodwill location.  It may also be stopping in at that same Goodwill location and buying something you may or may not need.  If you wonder why I mention the last item, it’s because the way Goodwill works is they provide jobs for many people who lack the skills or abilities to get a job anywhere else.  They make money to pay these people from the items they sell at their stores.  If no one goes into the store and buys, no money, no jobs. 

   But regardless of how you view the past years, or look forward to the years to come, each of us must live one day at a time.  After all, the nature of time, is that we live in the moment, for we cannot experience that which has already passed.  We cannot experience tomorrow, until the NOW finally gets there.  We can remember our yesterdays and look forward to our tomorrows.  We can learn from the past, and plan for the future.  But, at the end of the day, it’s the end of the day, but still just NOW.

  To everyone, I wish each of you a NOW you will be able to remember as being good, and future year of continued good for each NOW along the way.

Happy New Year