Comments on: Food Compost: There’s Gold in Them-Thar Green Bins http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/10/food-compost-theres-gold-in-them-there-green-bins/ Business, Better. Since 2005 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:33:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bag It: Composting For The Rest Of Us @ lifestyle insightshttp://www.triplepundit.com/2009/10/food-compost-theres-gold-in-them-there-green-bins/comment-page-1/#comment-25572 Bag It: Composting For The Rest Of Us @ lifestyle insights Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:10:58 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/?p=16686#comment-25572 [...] many cities and counties across North America, the City of Seattle now offers municipal composting of food waste (in addition to yard waste). I signed up immediately. After all, the best services are those things [...] [...] many cities and counties across North America, the City of Seattle now offers municipal composting of food waste (in addition to yard waste). I signed up immediately. After all, the best services are those things [...]

]]> By: Noah Wilsonhttp://www.triplepundit.com/2009/10/food-compost-theres-gold-in-them-there-green-bins/comment-page-1/#comment-19392 Noah Wilson Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:00:46 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/?p=16686#comment-19392 An interesting note: the East Bay system operated by EBMUD is having trouble with its biosolids-contaminated wastes (poop plus food waste). Perhaps we biodigest first, then fast pyrolize, this valuable but troublesome energy source? And send pure-food waste through from the biodigester to compost facilities without pyrolysis... compost+charcoal=damn good soil, if the ratios are right (a good start towards terra preta soils).I really want to see this happening on the east coast - I live in Asheville, NC, which is a pretty progressive little city with a lot of work to do on waste, despite its efforts. Anyone got any resources to check out/people to talk to/sites to recommend, etc? An interesting note: the East Bay system operated by EBMUD is having trouble with its biosolids-contaminated wastes (poop plus food waste). Perhaps we biodigest first, then fast pyrolize, this valuable but troublesome energy source? And send pure-food waste through from the biodigester to compost facilities without pyrolysis… compost+charcoal=damn good soil, if the ratios are right (a good start towards terra preta soils).

I really want to see this happening on the east coast – I live in Asheville, NC, which is a pretty progressive little city with a lot of work to do on waste, despite its efforts. Anyone got any resources to check out/people to talk to/sites to recommend, etc?

]]> By: Steve Savagehttp://www.triplepundit.com/2009/10/food-compost-theres-gold-in-them-there-green-bins/comment-page-1/#comment-18957 Steve Savage Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:55:25 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/?p=16686#comment-18957 Your mention of anaerobic digestion in the East Bay is key on this issue. If organic wastes of any type are gathered, it is far better to extract their energy value than to "compost" them. Composting simply wastes the energy value in the waste and makes a fertilizer that has a huge carbon footprint because of the methane emissions it entails. Waste energy is a terrible thing to waste. It should be put into either an anaerobic digester or a fast pyrolysis sysem. Your mention of anaerobic digestion in the East Bay is key on this issue. If organic wastes of any type are gathered, it is far better to extract their energy value than to “compost” them. Composting simply wastes the energy value in the waste and makes a fertilizer that has a huge carbon footprint because of the methane emissions it entails. Waste energy is a terrible thing to waste. It should be put into either an anaerobic digester or a fast pyrolysis sysem.

]]> By: Ashley Crimaldihttp://www.triplepundit.com/2009/10/food-compost-theres-gold-in-them-there-green-bins/comment-page-1/#comment-18930 Ashley Crimaldi Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:03:49 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/?p=16686#comment-18930 As someone who comes from a community where recycling services aren't even offered to everyone I'm a little jealous that the people of San Francisco get composting, trash AND recycling services. . . For more on zero waste trash check out this video; http://www.newsy.com/videos/zero_waste_catches_on_worldwide As someone who comes from a community where recycling services aren’t even offered to everyone I’m a little jealous that the people of San Francisco get composting, trash AND recycling services. . . For more on zero waste trash check out this video; http://www.newsy.com/videos/zero_waste_catches_on_worldwide

]]> By: Mary Catherine O'Connorhttp://www.triplepundit.com/2009/10/food-compost-theres-gold-in-them-there-green-bins/comment-page-1/#comment-18888 Mary Catherine O'Connor Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:11:19 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/?p=16686#comment-18888 James: Well, of course! Becoming a vegetarian is the obvious answer! But a more difficult choice in practical matters in Ireland, perhaps, than here in Northern California. Then again, I wouldn't have guessed that Dublin would be on the cutting edge of recycling, so I clearly have misconceptions. Thanks for the response and for sharing your experiences. It's inspiring. James: Well, of course! Becoming a vegetarian is the obvious answer! But a more difficult choice in practical matters in Ireland, perhaps, than here in Northern California. Then again, I wouldn’t have guessed that Dublin would be on the cutting edge of recycling, so I clearly have misconceptions.
Thanks for the response and for sharing your experiences. It’s inspiring.

]]> By: James Brittonhttp://www.triplepundit.com/2009/10/food-compost-theres-gold-in-them-there-green-bins/comment-page-1/#comment-18869 James Britton Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:09:49 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/?p=16686#comment-18869 I'm an American living in Ireland and composting isn't mandatory (I don't believe) but is a widespread practice. I speculate that many people compost kitchen waste here due to cost savings. In Dublin at least, single stream recycling collection is free and easy. Many homes have 3 bins: gray for general waste, green for recyclables and brown for compost. For those living in an area where bins are not feasible (e.g. apartment blocks, urban homes, etc.) recycle bags are mailed free of charge and rubbish tags must be applied to all waste bags, which essentially amounts to a tax. On my street, we use the bags so unfortunately we don't have a brown bin. Instead, I've made a small compost pile in the shared back garden of our cluster of houses and we have nearly eliminated all general waste. In the two months that we have lived here, we've only purchased one rubbish tag for a very small bag of trash when we first moved in that probably could have been eliminated, except I had not yet started the compost pile.Essentially we produce nearly zero waste and the compost pile was very easy to setup in even a tiny space. My only problem now is what to do with meat scraps and bones (not compostable): become a vegetarian I guess? Any suggestions? I’m an American living in Ireland and composting isn’t mandatory (I don’t believe) but is a widespread practice. I speculate that many people compost kitchen waste here due to cost savings. In Dublin at least, single stream recycling collection is free and easy. Many homes have 3 bins: gray for general waste, green for recyclables and brown for compost. For those living in an area where bins are not feasible (e.g. apartment blocks, urban homes, etc.) recycle bags are mailed free of charge and rubbish tags must be applied to all waste bags, which essentially amounts to a tax. On my street, we use the bags so unfortunately we don’t have a brown bin. Instead, I’ve made a small compost pile in the shared back garden of our cluster of houses and we have nearly eliminated all general waste. In the two months that we have lived here, we’ve only purchased one rubbish tag for a very small bag of trash when we first moved in that probably could have been eliminated, except I had not yet started the compost pile.

Essentially we produce nearly zero waste and the compost pile was very easy to setup in even a tiny space. My only problem now is what to do with meat scraps and bones (not compostable): become a vegetarian I guess? Any suggestions?

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