Help me design the ultimate garbage system

[Rob_Red]

The problem:

Live in the woods with plenty of Critters who like garbage, black bear are possible but rare. I have a long driveway and hate taking multiple trips to take garbage and recycling especially when I’m trying to get to work.

I don’t currently have a pickup truck to haul it.

The idea for a fix:

Build some sort of rolling cart with latch-able plywood containers. Only fear I have in doing this is the fact it will be road side and could possibly be stolen. So I may need to chain it to a tree.

Is there already an elegant solution for this?

 

[tlc1976]

Most of the people along my woodsy road including myself have built a garbage box for the end of the driveway. Simple wood framing with wire cloth or chicken wire sides, hinged lid. I made mine out of old pallets, not pretty but nobody will steal it either. Keeps out critters, stray dogs, etc. I screwed some reflectors to it for passing cars.

So I can take trash out and add to it anytime. Don’t have to worry about doing it all at once before I go to work. They pick up once a week.

If you don’t want to carry it to the end of the driveway, maybe use a wheelbarrow or little red wagon?

 

[clancey]

That's neat tic1976...I would get a conveyor belt and run it out there or a pulley like the old days so that you would not have to wheel it out in bad weather--just pulley it out and drop it in the box...How fun it is to think about these things--I am into this...lol old clancey

 

[tlc1976]

That would be a long conveyor…. About 250-300 feet. We all have long driveways out here, we like our privacy. My neighbor uses his side-by-side to bring his garbage down.

Another plus of the pallet garbage box is it’s heavy with a low center of gravity. 70 mph winds won’t touch it. Compared to other peoples garbage totes that end up tipped over in the road or in someone else’s yard. And if the snowplow hits it I’m not out much.

 

[maple1]

Trunk of a car still has to be better than lugging or pushing a cart. Have anything that can tow something? We have a wood box with a lift up cover at the end of our driveway. When you have a bag full or something ready to go, just take it when you're going and put un the box. Ours isn't water tight so I dont do that. We only get a couple bags, once a week. Garbage and recyclables alternates weekly here.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

What about a trailer. Tow it to the end of the driveway every garbage day.

 

[clancey]

Nice back yard you have and such a long driveway --pretty---I am thinking on this---maybe a drone. lol lol clancey

 

[EbS-P]

Have a hitch? I’m thinking a modified bike rack to take cans or carts down on the way to work. Doesn’t get In The way of driving I have one that fold out away from lift gate of my van. Rated for 4 bikes. That a heavy trash can going slow.

 

[tlc1976]

Lots of good ideas been posted. I have a little trailer for my lawn tractor I could use too. A coworker has one of those foldable hitch racks, that’s a nice idea.

I would put it in my car last choice. If at all, I’d put down a tarp and maybe an old blanket in the trunk or hatch first. That way if the bag leaked, I wouldn’t have to smell it for eternity, or until I deep cleaned the carpet.

 

[Bad LP]

I've driven past a few houses easily seen from the road with the trash piled up all over the front yard. With a long drive like yours... LOL

I'd use a cart myself if I had any sort of volume. Putting a trailer on the car would get old really quick.

Our trash gets bagged and I go to the transfer station (really a glorified dump) 2 times a week as I hate clutter and stinky trash.
Returnables get put into plastic trash bags and when full handed to the guy to cash in the deposits as I'm not playing that game.
Cardboard gets broken down and neatly placed into the largest box. When it's full it goes with me.

I'm seriously thinking about composting food waste for the garden. Not sold on the extra work just yet.

 

[Rob_Red]

I'm seriously thinking about composting food waste for the garden. Not sold on the extra work just yet.

This is grounds for a whole separate thread but we have been composting all non meat food waste and it’s a great way to super charge the garden. You do however need to frequently turn the pile which is a pain in the back unless you have a tractor.

 

[Rob_Red]

I found some hitch attachments that you can hook the cans to! I’m going to try this out

 

[tlc1976]

I've driven past a few houses easily seen from the road with the trash piled up all over the front yard. With a long drive like yours... LOL

I'd use a cart myself if I had any sort of volume. Putting a trailer on the car would get old really quick.

Our trash gets bagged and I go to the transfer station (really a glorified dump) 2 times a week as I hate clutter and stinky trash.
Returnables get put into plastic trash bags and when full handed to the guy to cash in the deposits as I'm not playing that game.
Cardboard gets broken down and neatly placed into the largest box. When it's full it goes with me.

I'm seriously thinking about composting food waste for the garden. Not sold on the extra work just yet.

The only clutter I’ve got outside is the pile behind the barn. Some scrap to pick from when I need something, some extra car parts, extra push mower…

I pay for the trash service by buying their bags, then they know the to pick it up. One big red bag holds about 4 kitchen bags, so I keep them in the barn until a red bag is full then I take it out. At this point by the time I would get it ready to be rolled or driven out, I’ll have already carried it out there by hand. When I get too old to haul it that far I’ll use another means.

I don’t have that much actual trash. Most things are recyclable. Those I take to the nearest collection site when I’m going that way. Food waste I toss in the woods for the animals.

 

[NorMi]

Same thing we do here, pay by the bag. Our blue bags only hold about 30 gallons, or two kitchen sized trash bags ,but we do one about every two weeks or so for ~$3 a pop. Thinking about adding a compactor when we redo the kitchen and halve the frequency.

I was thinking you could put wheels on an $50 IBC tote and make a cheap little roller dumpster as well

 

[rwhite]

I just googled "towing garbage cans" and there is a ton of great ideas. I think the Wheelie Ezi was the simplest and could easy be made.

 

[lml999]

Our trash gets bagged and I go to the transfer station (really a glorified dump) 2 times a week as I hate clutter and stinky trash.
Returnables get put into plastic trash bags and when full handed to the guy to cash in the deposits as I'm not playing that game.
Cardboard gets broken down and neatly placed into the largest box. When it's full it goes with me.

I'm seriously thinking about composting food waste for the garden. Not sold on the extra work just yet.

I collect our trash and returnables/paper in the garage. When I have enough to fill the trunk of an SUV, usually an even balance of paper/cardboard, bottles/cans and trash, I take it to our transfer station. That's typically every 7-10 days for the two of us.

We've been composting for a while but lately, the local coyotes seem to be quite attracted to the buffet. (I have a trail cam by the compost pile.) I thought about getting a freestanding compost system, but it's just not worth it...for the couple of bags worth of compost we get from the pile, I can just go buy some (without spending $150 on a composter).

 

[Rob_Red]

I collect our trash and returnables/paper in the garage. When I have enough to fill the trunk of an SUV, usually an even balance of paper/cardboard, bottles/cans and trash, I take it to our transfer station. That's typically every 7-10 days for the two of us.

We've been composting for a while but lately, the local coyotes seem to be quite attracted to the buffet. (I have a trail cam by the compost pile.) I thought about getting a freestanding compost system, but it's just not worth it...for the couple of bags worth of compost we get from the pile, I can just go buy some (without spending $150 on a composter).

Do you put meat or eggs into the compost? If so this is a surefire way to get pests. If you keep it veg based you should be fine.

 

[lml999]

Do you put meat or eggs into the compost? If so this is a surefire way to get pests. If you keep it veg based you should be fine.

Meat? No. Egg (shells)? Yes.

We get more than coyotes...possum, raccoons and a quirky skunk, which we named Stinky.

Stinky is pretty funny...he took a dislike to the camera (blue LED) and headbutted it a number of times. Now he mostly ignores it.

I'll give the pile a good stir and then maybe go pure vegetarian for a while to see if that changes the wildlife behavior. I have to say...I'll miss Stinky. He's pretty cute...and he has not lived up to his nickname, fortunately!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Stinky is considered an omnivore, but is meat biased. He will probably still stick around for the worms eating in the pile

 

[lml999]

Stinky is considered an omnivore, but is meat biased. He will probably still stick around for the worms eating in the pile

I don't have a problem with Stinky, or the possum, or the raccoons. None of them is likely to try to eat my dog if given the chance...unlike the coyotes...