Inbetween garbage days..

[pika la]

Another thread already, but I don't know where to ask about this.

Regular burnable garbage is collected on Wednesday and Saturday here. However I tend to produce alot of garbage as I cook and clean alot as well as, well..random things pile up. Four days of garbage, and no place to keep it...I had resorted to leaving it on the balcony. (probably rotting food, sunlight: bad? but better than in the living room?)

But then, for the first time, today, I went to get the garbage off the balcony to take it downstairs and all these little flys came in the apartment! Now I have a secondary problem; how do I get rid of the flys? orz

I'm used to just taking the garbage "out to the garbage" anytime there was any so I'm really truely puzzled. Where do you keep it?

 

[Mike Cash]

Try putting kitchen garbage and household trash in separate containers.

Regular trash, which doesn't include rotting food, won't attract bugs the way the kitchen garbage will so setting it out on the balcony won't cause such an insect problem. Get a plastic garbage can with a securely fitting lid to keep kitchen garbage outside between trash days. Be sure to securely close each bag so insects can't get in and lay eggs.

You can use bug spray on the bugs. You might also wish to hang up some fly paper in strategic places. It's as old-fashioned as a buggy whip, but it still works very well. Ask your feller to take you to a home center or hardware store to pick up what you need.

Planning meals so as to minimize the amount of food that goes in the trash instead of down gullets will also help. Barring that, put leftovers in closed containers back in your refrigerator until trash day, using it as a sort of chilled "garbage" storage. Of course, there are limits on that approach.

 

[pika la]

Great, that was really helpful. Thanks. =)

Do you mean to get a plastic can with lid to keep on the balcony for kitchen garbage? (It is a small 1 room/living room apt so I wouldn't even have room for a large enough garbage can inside)

 

[epigene]

pika la,

It also helps to wrap very wet kitchen garbage such as fish innards with old newspaper before putting them into the garbage can. This is an absolute must especially during humid summers!

Getting rid of the small flies is a problem I can't resolve completely either. I spray the garbage with home insectides inside the garbage bag before tying it up completely. And yes, you need a garbage can with a lid.

To get rid of the smell, I sprinkle kitchen garbage with a lot of used coffee grind. I've heard that baking soda is good as well.

My personal solution to doing away with stinky garbage is to make sure I cook dishes that produce smelly trash the night before garbage day!

 

[Tadashi]

Um, you can throw the garbage everyday. There are containers outside, you know. There may be some specifically designed for it even near your house. But if not, then just use the ones around any combini, you can use them everyday.

You should never leave rotting garbage inside your house, a lot of insects will appear. Eww...

 

[undrentide]

Um, you can throw the garbage everyday. There are containers outside, you know. There may be some specifically designed for it even near your house. But if not, then just use the ones around any combini, you can use them everyday.

No, in Tokyo it is not allowed to put the garbage at the collection point except designated days of the week. The only possible exception is that the apartment you're living has its own garbage place which is taken care of by the apartment union or caretaker.

Also it is not allowed to put your garbage at the collection point not for your living quarter. (Combini and stations have a lot of problem with people throwing their garbage in their dust bins instead of putting them at the nearest collection place.)

 

[epigene]

To add to undrentide's post, I think it is against social etiquette to throw away personal kitchen garbage in trash cans at conbinis and other establishments.

 

[Tadashi]

Why not? Who cares?

Keep your house clean, that's more important. I don't want to stand bugs or whatever just because of such stupid laws.

 

[Elizabeth]

To add to undrentide's post, I think it is against social etiquette to throw away personal kitchen garbage in trash cans at conbinis and other establishments.

I've only ever had to stop at one conbini with an overflowing garbage pile around the recycling receptacles but that was quite enough. Nothing so insignificant as a banana peel has been thrown at a public place by me since.

 

[undrentide]

Why not? Who cares?

Keep your house clean, that's more important. I don't want to stand bugs or whatever just because of such stupid laws.

You may not care as far as you can keep your own place clean, but other people do care. Most people do not want to see the garbage all the time in their neighbourhood, people at the station or combini stores don't want to clean up other's garbage for which they have no responsibility.

You shoud respect the laws and rules where you're living.
(But maybe I'm just wasting my time on writing this...)

 

[epigene]

(But maybe I'm just wasting my time on writing this...)

So true...

Good advice falling on deaf ears...

 

[Mike Cash]

Why not? Who cares?

Keep your house clean, that's more important. I don't want to stand bugs or whatever just because of such stupid laws.

Have you come across the Japanese terms 窶ｰﾃ､窶堋ｪ窶堙懌?堙 or ﾅｽﾂｩﾅ津遺?吮??ﾂ心 in your studies yet?

 

[Pepe]

Another suggestion for biodegradeables is the freezer - my old flatmate used to keep biodegradeables in a plastic bag in the freezer so that it would not decompose and attract bugs. Was a little odd for me at first, but once I saw the results I was a believer.

 

[pika la]

Pepe

That's really smart! I don't keep much frozen food so I just might try that as well. ^^

 

[JerseyBoy]

The "mansion" I have just moved in Tokyo has the garbage area. I was concerned about the timing of the garbage collection in Tokyo. If you are a single and a full time job, sometimes it's difficult to time the garbage disposal for the garbage pick up day. I talked with the management of the mansion and it seems this particular mansion does not too picky about when I put my garbage out as long as the garbage is properly separated. That was a quite relief to me.
The garbage disposal in Japan is very complicated, I guess.