My Grandfather burned His Trash Once a Week

Jalál (Glory), 19 Rahmat (Mercy), 165 BE – Saturday, July 12, 2008 about 6:34 AM PDT

Grandpa would empty the indoor trashcans everyday into a large metal container that set in the alley. Once a week, usually on Friday, he would burn the contents of that container. He burned it on Friday because the city picked up the trash on Saturday and he wanted to make sure there were no hot embers to catch the truck on fire. No on is allowed to burn trash anymore or even leaves in the fall.

This is trash pick-up day in my neighborhood and I'm not taking any trash to the curb. Not because I don't have any to take, but because the plastic sacks I put the trash in aren't full. It's a waste of money to put half-full plastic sacks in the cans and carry them out to the curb. My grandparents never had that problem because Grandpa carried the containers to the alley and emptied them in a barrel. It didn't matter if the barrel were full because Grandpa would burn its contents anyway.

I'm glad that individuals don't burn their own trash anymore. That is something I wouldn't like to do. I won't even light a fire in my fireplace; so I know I wouldn't burn the trash in a large metal container like my grandfather did. I'm lucky to get the small aluminum trashcans in the garage carried out once or twice a week. I think I'm going to have to go back to taking them out the night before the trash is picked up. It's much easier that way and I don't have to worry about interrupting my morning by take trash to the curb.