Man reveals why he hasn't put his bin out in three years
Most Australian household bins overflow after a hefty seven days of being filled, but not that of a South Australian man who didn't put his rubbish out for collection for more than three years.
Gary Moran, a resident of Gawler, about 55 kilometres north of Adelaide, put his bin out on Friday for the first time in three years and four months.
The environmentally conscious arboricultural consultant achieved the impressive feat by making calculated choices about the items he brought into his home.
"I grow some veggies myself and do some shopping at bulk stores and farmer markets, but I'm also careful at the supermarket as to make sure that anything that I do purchase, that the packaging is recyclable," Mr Moran told Yahoo News Australia.
Packaging containing styrofoam was the "big killer" when it came to recycling, according to Mr Moran, who said recycling soft plastic through REDcycle had made it a lot easier to reduce his overall waste.
"It's been an ongoing thing that I've built on," he said, adding that moving into a home on his own had made recycling and consuming less non-recyclable goods far simpler.
'International shame': Billionaire lashes PM over 'poor' speech
'Patronising': Panellist slammed during heated Q&A stand-off
His general waste was cut down dramatically by his decision to crunch all of his aluminium into a large ball, allowing it to be recycled efficiently, and combining smaller bits of metal and plastic into separate containers.
Mr Moran said there was nothing he felt forced to go without since switching to a lower waste lifestyle.
"I can't say that I really sacrificed anything, it's just about making a more intelligent choice about what you buy. I don't feel like I miss out on anything," he said.
Budding recyclers shouldn't let themselves become overwhelmed by the idea of living a low-waste lifestyle, rather they should consider making small changes to their daily habits, Mr Moran suggested.
"When you want to start on a similar journey, you can make a small station at home where you can separate your things at the source," he said.
"It's so easy when there's something in your hand that needs to be put somewhere, and it's no harder than throwing it in the bin."
Mr Moran also encouraged consumers to be more deliberate about the purchases they made and understand that when buying an item, they became responsible for how it eventually would be disposed.
Additionally, he urged people to consider opting out of receiving small gifts for free, such as plastic collectables given away at Woolworths and Coles like Ooshies and Little Shop toys.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
