Chemistry at the Eco Depot

Once or twice a year, Pete and I head to the Eco Depot to dispose of our household hazardous waste (which we store in a box out in the garage) such as motor oil, oil based paints, varnishes, rechargeable batteries, electronic equipment, pool chemicals, fertilizers and unknowns.  There's a complete list of hazardous waste that you can dispose of at http://www.rirrc.org/resident/household-hazardous-waste/.  In Rhode Island, the Eco Depot is located at the Central Landfill site but also travels to local towns.  On a recent occasion the Eco Depot was in the parking lot of our city hall/library.  We made a time appointment by phone a few days before.  We loaded our hazardous wastes into the back of the truck and made our way to the site.  Upon arrival, we were directed first to the electronics truck where we could drop off old televisions and computers, both of which contain elements that are hazardous to the environment.  Next stop was the chemicals area where we were greeted by men and women in hazmat uniforms.  We stayed in our truck and they removed the items from the back of the truck and brought them to the table of chemists.  The chemists tested these items and then disposed of them into barrels that were located behind them.  Here is where we dropped off motor oil, oil based paints, varnishes, aerosol cans, and rechargeable batteries, etc.  You may have something that you are unsure of, something that has been in your basement for so long that the label is missing and the can rusted or possibly a number of different products were mixed together to save space.  Not to worry, the chemists can take care of that for you.  It was fascinating to watch them at work.  It also felt great to dispose of these items properly and safely and keep them from polluting Mother Earth.   Consider your States Eco Depot before putting hazardous household waste into your regular trash.  * The Eco Depot is a completely FREE service and you never have to leave the comfort of your car/truck.  All items are removed from your vehicle for you.  *Everyday batteries (non rechargeable) can be disposed of in your everyday household trash.  *Latex paints can also be disposed of in regular household trash.  Simply remove the lid and allow the paint to dry before disposing of it.  If you have a large quantity, you can purchase a packet of paint dryer at your local hardware store to speed the drying process.

Preparing the Garden for Winter

Fall is in the air with warm days and crisp evenings and it's time to prepare the garden for winter.  This week we'll be enjoying the last of our garden's bounty.  Then, we'll pull out the plants, transfer them to the compost bin to recycle them, incorporate 2 bags of composted cow manure and the compost from the bin to the soil and bed down the strawberry plants for the winter.  Strawberry plants are a marvel.  If you purchase one plant, it will produce offshoots (when it matures) similar to the way spider plants do.  In early spring, we purchased a hanging strawberry plant for the deck and we soon had a number of offshoots from that one plant.  We snipped them from the base plant and planted them in their own pots, watered them daily until the roots took hold and soon had 4 potted strawberry plants from the purchase of one.   Pete and I enjoyed fresh berries all summer.  There's nothing like a fresh strawberry on a summer day.  We shared a few with an ambitious chipmunk as well.  This week, I will remove the strawberry plants from their pots and bed them in the garden for the winter.  I'll cover the plants with fresh hay as soon as the first frost threatens.  This layer of hay will protect the plants until Spring and the cycle will continue. These plants will have offshoots and soon we'll be enjoying a daily supply of fresh strawberries all from the purchase of one.