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February 18, 2009
Compost
My Toronto friends are lucky. The city picks up organic waste for composting. New York is not quite as advanced. Although I learned recently that the Metro Transportation Authority sorts garbage in the subway and train systems. While I think having separate bins for recyclables and trash helps with public awareness, sorting the garbage is a step in the right direction.
We have a garburator (or as New Yorkers call them, a waste disposal) in our sink that grinds up organic matter into tiny little bits and sends them into the New York sewer system for treatment with all the other things that get flushed and rinsed.
But it occurred to me recently, on my way to yoga near Union Square, that I had nearly tripped over the Lower East Side Ecology Center's composting bins several times. So I decided to start to collect our organic waste and schlepp it to Union Square with me. I am on week 2 and feeling pretty good about it. I think this is an infinitely more useful way to get rid of organic waste. The LESEC collects 60 tons of organic waste and the city uses the compost for the public gardens.
Score!
Posted by dave at February 18, 2009 11:26 AM