[tractor beam]

These days, times are tough, and things are getting more and more expensive. Tractor forum asks "How do you go about recycling or reusing resources to either reduce your carbon footprint on the planet, or to simply save money, or being brilliantly resourceful. Your input does not need to necessarily revolve around tractors or agriculture either, but can include your vehicles home, work or whatever. Extend your knowledge or ideas to the community!

[tractor beam]

I built a 3 bay garage for absolutely zero cost using discarded building materials. I used large rocks placed into the ground, to set my post's on, to save myself thye expense of $110 a yard concrete and form tube. I put up pictures of the garage on the forum and here is the link to view them. http://www.tractorforum.com/f155/more-photos-my-free-3-bay-shop-13934/

[kau]

We compost a lot and feed scraps to the animals. Cuts our trash to almost nill.

Purchase a lot of building supplies at the local Habitat Restore. Can find great old building materials that need minor work but would cost a fortune now to build with all the detail.

[wjjones]

We recycle plastic, cardboard, papers, magazines, etc, and i always try to recycle as much hardware bolts, building materials, etc like TB. I try to stay out of the landfill its exspensive to dispose here $18.00 per yard and its killing the enviroment. I also like going to the restore whenever i can.

[tractor beam]

Originally Posted by wjjones

We recycle plastic, cardboard, papers, magazines, etc, and i always try to recycle as much hardware bolts, building materials, etc like TB. I try to stay out of the landfill its exspensive to dispose here $18.00 per yard and its killing the enviroment. I also like going to the restore whenever i can.

Gosh, in light of everything being made in China, or being built cheaper and flimsier and all the while getting more expensive, it just makes sense to restore and keep running, those older impliments, tools and equipment. Not to mention those items you use around the house, or garage!

[leadarrows]

This is an article in the local newspaper about me from a few years ago. Things have been slow lately with new housing being our main source of drywall. Hopefully the new deal I am working on with Waste Management to recycle what they bring in will revitalize our production.



Recycling gypsum

[tractor beam]

That's great! This needs to be done on a larger scale. I've thrown out so much drywall over the years. Drywall was cheap for so many years until lately.

[rsmith335]

The carpet in our house will ever be replaced w/ carpet. We put hard wood floors in most of the house and made a big mistake using some nasty carpet, you can't keep it clean by even never wearig shoes on it. Where does all that nasty carpet end up, land fill? We recycle every thing that our Recycle Center will take, they even take paint, tires, appaliances, TVs and my Dictionary, that I reclled by mistake.

[kau]

I made a pretty decent fence out of bamboo I cut from a local neighbor as well. 5 years and it's still holding strong.

[trs11758]

this is the link Dean Kamen Discovers Technology of the Future : Videos : Planet Green scroll down to this video: how cow waste generates electricity

[dangeroustoys56]

I recycle lawntractors - i buy them cheep/get them free - ones i can rebuild get redone, ones i cant fix are either taken apart for other tractors or i modify them for specific tasks.

I also go to alot of flea markets and thrift stores- its unbeliveable how much useful stuff is there - i found a set of brand new spark plug wires and brake pads - which i plan to use on my lawntractors.

[bignastyGS]

I recycle all glass,bi-metal cans,newspapers,cardboard. I also take my old antifreeze to Advance auto parts so it can be recycled. My used oil is taken to a local garage that uses it to heat their building. He has a new almost zero emission burner so that helps out too.All my old metal is given to a friend who hauls it to the metal scrapper and we have 2 food scrap bins outside. About the only things we send to the landfill is non recyclable items like catalogs,light bulbs aerosol cans and things not readily available to be recycled. I even recycled my old TV,computer and phones we had.Hopefully, I am doing my fair part.

[AlbertaPutter]

Thought I would share my rear weight solution with others. A friend was trowing out gym set, plates are 15 lbs each.

[wjjones]

We also have a Habitat for Humanity store where you can buy used windows, doors, plumbing, etc, and left over paint, shingles, etc.

[wjjones]

Originally Posted by AlbertaPutter

Thought I would share my rear weight solution with others. A friend was trowing out gym set, plates are 15 lbs each.

Thats what i need for my aerator!

[dangeroustoys56]

Wjjones: Check out some thrift stores n flea markets ( or CL) first before going to the store- i saw a set of 10-20lb weights from a weight lift set at a local thrift store- they only wanted like $5- 10 each.

[wjjones]

Originally Posted by dangeroustoys56

Wjjones: Check out some thrift stores n flea markets ( or CL) first before going to the store- i saw a set of 10-20lb weights from a weight lift set at a local thrift store- they only wanted like $5- 10 each.

I will do just that if the guy i emailed here locally doesnt come through he does demolition, and said he can get some 1" x 12" x 36" steel plate.. I wonder how much that would weigh??

[dangeroustoys56]

Eat your wheaties before getting it - and bring a few freinds - itll be heavier then you think- my dad had a 1/4" steel 4x8 sheet in the back of his truck years ago - that thing weighed a ton ( or felt like it ).

[rsmith335]

We recycle everything we can. Before my Mother in moved in we usually had two small bags of trash w/a family of three a week. Now we have a bag of trash almost every day, it,s her buying habits, she dosen't buy in bulk, so every little thing has a package and a plastic sack and she want's us to eat on stryfom plates, which I refuse to do, more trash. If you watch how things are packed you can cut down on trash big time. I make a lot of buying decisions on how things are packed. Stryafoam should be outlawed.

[dangeroustoys56]

I agree with Rsmith- since we started recycling - the bags of garbage have reduced ( 1-2 per trash day) and the recycling bags ( every other week) are around 3-4.