AN ECO champion has revealed the real reason she hasn’t taken the bins out for a year and a half – and it may surprise you.
Trudy Conroy shocked neighbours when her wheelie bin appeared on the side of the street for the first time in almost 18 months.
News.com.auTrudy Conroy has publicly promoted recycling and cleaner living[/caption]
News.com.auAt the weekend she claims she put our her bin for the first time in 78 weeks[/caption]
But it wasn’t because she’d been away or had started using someone else’s household waste bin.
Instead, she had dedicated herself to finding ways to avoid using it.
Ms Conroy, from Adelaide, Australia, claims she had avoided putting her bins out for 78 weeks after making a concerted effort to find other means of waste disposal.
Her methods included recycling, composting, buying items in bulk, and donating materials to worthwhile causes.
All the while her landfill bin was practically empty and was long considered a “last resort.”
Speaking to news.com.au she explained that she began her quest for cleaner living after becoming more conscious of her effect on the environment.
She began by utilising a composter that took on organics including food scraps and paper before finding ways to recycle her other household goods including toothbrushes and spray pumps.
“Before throwing something out, I always think, ‘what can I do with this before it goes into the red bin’”, she said.
“The red bin is always my last resort.”
According to Ms Conroy, many of her mixed material goods have been accepted by local companies who break down materials.
While she has also found a home for more industrial waster such as offices taking printer ink, batteries and old CDs.
In the meantime, she has invested in reusable shopping bags and even found a supplier of kitty litter made from recycled newspaper for her two kittens.
It rendered her bin redundant for more than a year as a result.
The eco champion, praised by her neighbours, now said she wants to promote her milestone litter day by urging residents to follow suit.
After posting a picture online she told the outlet that it was important the public consider their litter usage.
She added there was no such thing as “away” when they were throwing something in the bin.
Her tale comes as we revealed the changing attitudes and behaviour towards littering thanks to an army of “mini educators”.
A new report suggested that as many as 1,000 British youngsters aged 6 to 12, and their parents, have become more aware of how behaviours at home affect the planet as a whole.
It included the revelation that as many as 33 per cent of children considered recyclables being incorrectly thrown in the bin an illegal offence.
And it appears their attitudes have been rubbing off on adults as well.
If you are unsure about recycling, then check out our guide to the most common items that can’t be put in your recycling bin.
Plus, a list of everyday items that you can.