Dealing with all those empties
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Great White North
Posts: 92
Dealing with all those empties
Only Day Six for me, but sobriety is already yielding meaningful improvements in my life, both in the sense that there are new positive aspects of my life, and some old negative aspects of my life have been removed.
One of those negative aspects that I've not had to deal with this week is: how do you get rid of all those empty bottles/cans? Especially when you are trying to maintain the charade in front of the wife that I don't really drink *that* much. What a hassle. Hiding empties in the closet in the extra bedroom... scheduling extra trips to the recycle yard to dispose of the evidence. What a waste of time and energy.
One of those negative aspects that I've not had to deal with this week is: how do you get rid of all those empty bottles/cans? Especially when you are trying to maintain the charade in front of the wife that I don't really drink *that* much. What a hassle. Hiding empties in the closet in the extra bedroom... scheduling extra trips to the recycle yard to dispose of the evidence. What a waste of time and energy.
Phoenix Rising Again
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 3,079
I took a big black yard waste bag and filled it up and dumped it.
Honestly, if you're embarrassed to do it in front of your wife, do it when she isn't around. Maybe some people won't agree with that but to me, putting yourself through the extra shame isn't worth it.
Honestly, if you're embarrassed to do it in front of your wife, do it when she isn't around. Maybe some people won't agree with that but to me, putting yourself through the extra shame isn't worth it.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: canada
Posts: 748
I had some initial surprises in sobriety at stumbling across empty little 200ml vodka bottles that I had placed at "discretely convenient" places. I can't even figure out how I came up with some of them.....an empty bottle in a top kitchen cabinet behind a big jar of flour.....seriously?!?!? The commotion to move things around to get it there must have defeated the purpose of secrecy that was no doubt going on in my alcohol addled brain when I stored it there.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 182
I'm with you Tap. The worst for me was the occasional scare that she was heading to one of the hiding spots and would soon see the bottle and then....how would I explain? Scary. Nerve wracking. How many things like this, the hiding, lying, manipulating sometimes even just to make sure the next drink was secure. I even managed to convince my wife that it was totally fine to bring a flask to the movie theater and swig when the scene was dark, or pour into her soda. Back to empties, here where I am the recycle truck picks up at the house. The weekly racket of dumping the empties I to the recycle can was absolutely ridiculous. The whole damn neighborhood could hear it I'm sure. Now whe. I bring out the recyclables it's paper, some cereal boxes, milk jugs etc. I had a laugh last week because I tossed a rootbber bottle in there (almost never drink soda) and it clinked real loud, and I was like, in my mind - only soda people, only soda!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,912
Taproot, you are on day 6 sober. Those empty bottles belong to the past. I'm with Aarryckha here. I've done this myself. We don't need to bare every single (irrelevant) detail about our past, everyone has rights to privacy. If you feel uncomfortable taking the bottles out in front of your wife, do it when she's not around, then move on. It won't be a lie. I am sure you had a lot more secrets and shame in the past. You are sober here and now, that's what matters! 
as a sober contributor
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: California
Posts: 1,312
Recycle it all and give her the money. She knows already, so maybe that will help convince her that you are serious about getting sober.
I used to go to the liquor store and get more beer when I recycled. Now, all my bottles are water bottles or Crystal Geyser bottles and when I get that redemption voucher I go and buy food!
I used to go to the liquor store and get more beer when I recycled. Now, all my bottles are water bottles or Crystal Geyser bottles and when I get that redemption voucher I go and buy food!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 58
I packed cardboard boxes with 6-packs. I would bring them to the beer distributer for the refund. Living in a building i didnt like that all my neigbors would see beer in the recycle bins every morning. Bigger the box, the less trips you have to make.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PA
Posts: 12,000
It's your call really. Just one thing to consider. What if you miss some and they're found later. You can do a clean out then later ask her to help. Just a thought. I was thinking my recycling people must have thought I moved. Overflowing containers. Then nothing
Keeping it simple!
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Surrey, BC
Posts: 3,282
I had tons of empty bottles in my bedroom. Tons, in the closets, under the bed and in my drawers.
When my daughter came over to help me clean my place up because I was moving in with her she helped me take those bottles and throw them away. And not one word of judgement or did she make me feel ashamed. In fact she took pleasure in throwing them away and supporting me in my journey to moving on from it. Like we were both saying goodbye to a bad chapter.
So thankful that she is my daughter.
When my daughter came over to help me clean my place up because I was moving in with her she helped me take those bottles and throw them away. And not one word of judgement or did she make me feel ashamed. In fact she took pleasure in throwing them away and supporting me in my journey to moving on from it. Like we were both saying goodbye to a bad chapter.
So thankful that she is my daughter.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: US
Posts: 556
Just get rid of them. However you can. You don't need that weighing you down.
It was such an enormous relief to be rid of the trash. Still is. I get a perverse thrill looking at my glass recycling bin with the lonely salad dressing bottle rolling around in it.
It was such an enormous relief to be rid of the trash. Still is. I get a perverse thrill looking at my glass recycling bin with the lonely salad dressing bottle rolling around in it.
Behold the power of NO
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: WA
Posts: 7,764
Recycle it all and give her the money. She knows already, so maybe that will help convince her that you are serious about getting sober.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Great White North
Posts: 92
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and stories. One of my favorite things about SR is learning that, "I'm not the only one."
Actually, I should have been more clear in the original post--those empties are already gone. And even though I'm only one week into sobriety, I can already see the benefit that I haven't needed to worry about how to discretely dispose of all the bottles and cans over these last seven days.
Nothing really profound here, no special wisodm that will bring world peace, but it looks like the sober life is in many ways just so much simpler than being stuck on that perpetual treadmill of drinking. Simpler is good...less to worry about.
Actually, I should have been more clear in the original post--those empties are already gone. And even though I'm only one week into sobriety, I can already see the benefit that I haven't needed to worry about how to discretely dispose of all the bottles and cans over these last seven days.
Nothing really profound here, no special wisodm that will bring world peace, but it looks like the sober life is in many ways just so much simpler than being stuck on that perpetual treadmill of drinking. Simpler is good...less to worry about.
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