Grandmother's Wisdom from a Pre-Plastic Era

My friend Melissa sent me this grandmother story to help those of us trying to figure out post-plastic performance standards:

My grandmother faithfully lined the garbage can each week with newspaper. It turns out that a double sheet, folded a bit over the rim of the can, will just reach the bottom. She then put a sheet of paper in the bottom to protect it. Saved having to clean the garbage can. As much as she tried to get the rest of us to learn her behavior and follow in her footsteps, she wasn't all that successful. As she finally moved on to a rest home (at 101), her major voiced concern was "who is going to line the garbage can?". Maybe a lot of people will if they try this idea. Newspaper doesn't break down in a land fill very fast because it is buried, but it sure beats plastic.

Thanks Melissa!

Two thoughts: one: Community Waste Solutions (Haines) will put the newspaper through its composting process, thus enhancing newspaper degradation; and two: newspapers come at a premium, don't they? Let's assume that the newspaper you are using to line your containers is recycled newsprint- recycled from what? Ah...at some point it was virgin paper. A tree was cut somewhere sometime along the route to a liner.

But I am enough of a Luddite that I still like to read my news instead of hear it or get it on line. In fact, I can't think of anything more delicious than a cup of coffee and a hefty newspaper. So next time I indulge in this almost archaic past-time, I will think of Melissa's grandmother and dedicate a few pages to a cleaner garbage can.