On the horns of a dilemma

[Ldychef2k]

Living on the corner of two busy thoroughfares in a city of 250,000 has its disadvantages! Not being able to have pigs is definitely one of them !!!

 

[VickiLynn]

I figured it out - if you flush the contents of one jar each day, it will take you about five years to empty them all.

I was reading on our local UW-Extension website today and I found this. Maybe you could detoxify the contents of the jars, then empty them into the garbage?

Detoxification Process

Carefully discard any jar of spoiled food to prevent possible illness to you, your family, and pets. Detoxify unsealed, open, or leaking jars of food before disposal to prevent the spread of toxin

* If suspect glass jars are still sealed, place them in a heavy garbage bag. Close the bag, and place it in a regular trash container or bury it.
* If suspect jars are unsealed, opened or leaking, detoxify (destroy bacteria and toxin) as follows before disposal. Place suspect jars of food, including lids, on their sides in an 8-quart volume (or larger) stock pot. Wash your hands thoroughly in hot soapy water. Carefully add water to the pan until it is at least one inch above the containers. Avoid splashing the water. Place a lid on the pot. Heat to boiling, and boil rapidly for at least 30 minutes to insure detoxification and destroy all bacteria and toxin. Cool and drain water and dispose of the containers, lids and food in the trash, or bury in soil to prevent accidental poisoning.
* Thoroughly scrub all counters, containers, and equipment that may have touched the food or containers, and other equipment or utensils used in the process with a solution of 1 part chlorine bleach to 5 parts water. Wet the surface with this solution and let stand 5 minutes before rinsing.
* Wash clothing in hot water and soap.
* Wash hands thoroughly in hot water and soap .
* Place sponges , wash cloths and towels that were used in clean-up in a plastic bag and discard them in the trash. Boil all items in the water for 30 minutes. Cool and discard jar contents in garbage or bury in soil. This will prevent accidental poisoning.

 

[Ldychef2k]

That's probably the safest way to do it. But I don't see myself following those steps for so many jars. I appreciate your posting it, but I think it's a little bit over the top. No comment against you at all...it reminds me of the procedure to dispose of CFL bulbs.

Cleaning Up a Broken CFL

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal steps:

Before cleanup: air out the room
Cleanup steps for:
Hard surfaces
Carpeting or rug
Clothing, bedding and other soft materials
Disposal of cleanup materials
Future cleaning of carpeting or rug: air out the room during and after vacuuming

Before Cleanup: Air Out the Room

Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.

Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.

Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Cleanup Steps for Hard Surfaces

Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.

Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.

Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.

Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.


Cleanup Steps for Carpeting or Rug

Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.

Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.

If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.

Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Cleanup Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials

If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away.

Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.

You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct con tact with the materials from the broken bulb.

If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

Disposal of Cleanup Materials

Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.

Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.

Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.

Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

 

[Sunny]

Living on the corner of two busy thoroughfares in a city of 250,000 has its disadvantages! Not being able to have pigs is definitely one of them !!!

Ok maybe a pig wont work for ya.

Maybe try the red wigglers. The worms people use to eat their house hold vegi leftovers. I bet they would love to eat it. I would get a couple of plastic totes of them..

 

[Ldychef2k]

extremedly cool idea. Thank you !

 

[freemotion]

You could probably sell those worms, too, to fisherman.....

 

[SKR8PN]

You could probably sell those worms, too, to fisherman.....

Or other gardeners......at a PROFIT I might add.

 

[Ldychef2k]

But you have to have space!!! These are on our local Craig's list. For people with $5. Saw them the other day and thought "worm farm?" Ran across a setup online once that used these sorts of things.

http://visalia.craigslist.org/grd/1818487636.html