27 replies to this topic

[Green Thumb]

It's a long process and waiting before we can turn our sanitary landfills into energy source while garbage keeps on piling up and as I learned from many different posts in this wonderful community, not all garbage are applicable for methane power. And again, big budget and facility, intelligent and healthful planning should be taken into consideration. While that could be ongoing or being considered by those who have authorities, like I said the garbage keeps on coming and there's no stopping it given that there are billions of people consuming voluminous goods daily. Again, the three important R's came to mind ' Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This should already be a way of life. Anyhow, I'm still searching for ways how the garbage taken from our home then mound into the landfills will be turned into a mountain of valuable soil where agricultural estate could be possible or where it could be grind and mixed with other earth resources and be a foundation for building different structures if not a new mounts to grow trees from.  

Nyahaha! Of course, that dreamy undertaking couldn't possibly be a project to be started by a lone, little earthling like me. However, like what I always believe, imparting general awareness may lead other people to come up of a new, bright and better ideas thus may lead to potential solution where we could all act upon. But really, to reduce, reuse and recycle is already one of the top solutions that could give space and time for our sanitary landfills to serve as helping hand in retaining our mother nature in the future. For now, as regular individual there's no greater practice than living with the 3R power.

As I see it, many of us already began the rewarding task of composting. If you don't have even a small farmstead, to be able to cultivate a small space in your lot, not only lessen and make use of the garbage but will also give us a very good source of beautification, recreation and living. We could sow flowers or decorative plants, herbal medicines, fruits and vegetables. As we all know, a garden is a beauty and life to behold. And yes, it could fairly well grow from garbage. But first we compost.

Here's another link that gives convenient composting tips.


http://www.toxicdude...luable-top-soil

[kate]

I thought I'd HATE composting when I first moved out here to the wilderness. So I kind of tip-toed into it, sure I would never stick to it.

I started out by just piling up grasses and leaves and compostable stuff in a heap behind the shed.  Turned it whenever I thought of it,and even then it was just a lick and a promise!  Then I started keeping scraps in a big old soup pot next to my sink.  Then I started adding eggshells and coffee grounds, then hair and fingernails.  Then we got the woodstove so I'd toss in a few ashes.  Then we got chickens, so there was the hay and manure...

I can honestly say I LOVE composting now.  I have three piles in various stages of development at all times.  It is FREE RICH SOIL, as I tell my friends and family who were at best, skeptical.  Now anyone who has seen my veggies and my flowers wants my compost and my soil.  Do it, people!  It does NOT smell or attract bugs as long as you cover it with grass or leaves once in a while.  You won't ever regret it.

[jasserEnv]

I personally don't compost. However, my parents live in the country and they compost all vegetable matter. They have been doing it for years. However, I am not avoiding responsibility because my city does compost and that is as a result of considerable efforts by numerous citizens to get the city to take responsibility. Our city now composts anything organic including meat and bones so it is more than I could do in my back yard for fear of attracting unwanted creatures.

We only switched to doing so 2 years ago and there are some people who can't be bothered. However, it is refreshing to see many people making the effort. The costs of this were an additional $35 per year so it is hardly expensive and this is good because there are some who want tax reductions at all costs even if good value is being delivered for the cost. Overall, most people I have talked to think it makes sense so it is just a matter of continuing to pressure those who can't make the effort.

[kate]

Is the composting cost added to the tax bill or do residents pay for it as they would pay for a building permit or some other fee?  I think it's great that your city took this on, as municipalities usually have the folks and tools in place to do it cost-effectively in locations where backyard composting is difficult.

One town near here has a mulching program going.  They mulch all the park grass clipping and tree limb pieces, then let residents fill bags with the mulch at the back end of one of the parks. Costs almost nothing!

[Karim Jessa]

I live in a townhouse complex, so I wouldn't be able to do my own composting. But since April of this year the City has begun a green bin program. I've been participating for years in the blue bin, and the blue and yellow bag program, so I undertook this one eagerly.

It began quite well. I made sure I followed all the instructions. I even kept two small pails, with lids, indoors where I could put the food leftovers and the peelings to be disposed of the following day. And I bought a garden hose for rinsing the green bin regularly.

I say all this unnecessary stuff because I hate work of any kind. I've never done any gardening or lawn maintenance. So this activity of collecting refuse, and washing the bin and the pails, was an unusual thing for me. But I did it anyway.

But, by peak Summer we were battling fruit fleas and other bugs I don't know the name of. This was indoors and outdoors. And my family was complaining of the smell. Oh, I had bought a stack of little boxes of baking soda.

The conclusion is, I gave it up. It was too much for me. The blue bin part is easier, cleaner.

[jasserEnv]

Karim Jessa, on 03 November 2011 - 10:02 AM, said:

I live in a townhouse complex, so I wouldn't be able to do my own composting. But since April of this year the City has begun a green bin program. I've been participating for years in the blue bin, and the blue and yellow bag program, so I undertook this one eagerly.

It began quite well. I made sure I followed all the instructions. I even kept two small pails, with lids, indoors where I could put the food leftovers and the peelings to be disposed of the following day. And I bought a garden hose for rinsing the green bin regularly.

I say all this unnecessary stuff because I hate work of any kind. I've never done any gardening or lawn maintenance. So this activity of collecting refuse, and washing the bin and the pails, was an unusual thing for me. But I did it anyway.

But, by peak Summer we were battling fruit fleas and other bugs I don't know the name of. This was indoors and outdoors. And my family was complaining of the smell. Oh, I had bought a stack of little boxes of baking soda.

The conclusion is, I gave it up. It was too much for me. The blue bin part is easier, cleaner.

The key to using a green bin in summer or winter is taking your compost out of the house daily and putting it into a plastic bag that you can open and close. A simple knot hold in the odors except when you dump in new material. That way there is no smell in the house. Then, on collection day, or the night before, you empty the plastic bag(s) into the paper compost collection bags and put your plastic bags in the garbage. This makes the whole task a lot less smelly and is really very little work. The added waste of 1 or 2 plastic bags per weak isn't really a lot when compared to not composting at all.

It is too bad, the cities don't explain to people how to do this because many who can barely be bothered do give up when faced with the odors.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

When I moved into this house, years ago; the ground was rock hard, clay "soil".
Because of my active composting over the years, I can put a spade into the ground easily; sometimes
with my bare feet.
It's wonderful stuff and worth the effort.

[zararina]

I used to compost when I was younger and when there is still a "soil space" in front of our house. But when they transformed all spaces into cemented ones, I can not compost anymore and even some of my plants are removed.
I had read before about how to compost on containers but it not possible for me right now to maintain such kind of compose. Maybe if I would have enough time to fix one, I will give it a try.

[tigerlily78]

My neighborhood has an HOA, and of course of one out covenants says "no compost piles" (along with no rain barrels and no clotheslines... arg), so I have been something of a radical, secret composter for a number of years.

I leave excess yard clippings and leaves in a discreet pile at the rear of my fenced yard, and then do my composting in a bin that looks the same as a 96 gallon roll off trash can... it requires more tossing and isn't quite as user friendly, but I think it makes a strong case against any complaints, since my compost situation is really no different or more offensive or more accessible to trash than everyone else's garbage.

I also have rain barrels since we went through a drought a few years ago and I petitioned the HOA to ignore that convenant... it made no sense given the circumstances. I occasionally put out a temporary clothesline too... slowly pushing the envelope and testing their authority.  

[jasserEnv]

tigerlily78, on 14 November 2011 - 10:39 AM, said:

My neighborhood has an HOA, and of course of one out covenants says "no compost piles" (along with no rain barrels and no clotheslines... arg), so I have been something of a radical, secret composter for a number of years.

I leave excess yard clippings and leaves in a discreet pile at the rear of my fenced yard, and then do my composting in a bin that looks the same as a 96 gallon roll off trash can... it requires more tossing and isn't quite as user friendly, but I think it makes a strong case against any complaints, since my compost situation is really no different or more offensive or more accessible to trash than everyone else's garbage.

I also have rain barrels since we went through a drought a few years ago and I petitioned the HOA to ignore that convenant... it made no sense given the circumstances. I occasionally put out a temporary clothesline too... slowly pushing the envelope and testing their authority.  

If they are mandating that you cannot compost, you should try pushing the municipality to implement a composting program citing that you cannot "do the right thing" in your neighborhood. You never know if a few letters might make them think about the consequences.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

HOA's make their own rules and don't have to listen to the city members, in most cases.
(Besides, being a radical sneak is more fun.)

[tigerlily78]

I don't think I would yet win that battle at the municipal level... we live in a part of Georgia that is nearly completely populated with self-important suburbanites who think these kinds of rules are somehow raising their social and economic esteem, despite that most of them live in the same sort of $130,000/140,000 shoddily built cookie cutter colonial I live in. It's not the Builtmore Estate for Pete's sake!

I think my time is much better spent on my recent battle to reform or HOA's management company. Who recently sent me a fine for failing to "mow and edge" my lawn, despite the fact that within days of the initial notice I DID mow and edge the areas of my yard that I would consider lawn and are within plain view of the street. I have sort of a longterm issue with the hill at the back of my property which is not technically even my property, it's only in my yard due to someone else's decision to take liberties with building their fence 10 to 15 feet (it varies) from the actual property lines.... well, I don't feel particularly obligated to mow it regularly due to the slope or plant grass on it or otherwise put much time or resources into it, when at any time the lady who owns the lot behind us could decide to reclaim it or send her troop of Mexican yard workers over to spray it with weed killers or what have you.

So anyways, I am engaged in a war of words and an appeal process.

Because of the nature of the "ownership" of the area that was not mowed and it's distinct character as NOT LAWN I feel that their letter to me did not really properly indicate what they were expecting me to do. I am not psychic afterall.

If I do not win the appeal, I think I will probably launch a petition campaign to fire our management company.. I feel there is growing momentum for that kind of thing. Since the recession, I find that many people here are no longer thrilled about the time, energy, and money that is required of them to meet the HOA guidelines... particularly those guidelines that are more about aesthetics than anything, when they continually refuse to write tickets/fines for other covenants like those for nuisance pets and parking ovrenight in the streets.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

tigerlily78, on 15 November 2011 - 11:13 AM, said:

l... we live in a part of Georgia that is nearly completely populated with self-important suburbanites who think these kinds of rules are somehow raising their social and economic esteem, despite that most of them live in the same sort of $130,000/140,000 shoddily built cookie cutter colonial I live in.

I so love your brand of sarcasm, it cracks me up. Go get em'.

[jasserEnv]

It does sound like you have a bit of a battle on your hands. There is nothing like the amount of effort and money that is spent to ensure aesthetics considering that the housing bubble is long since burst.

[ConservativeGreen]

Makes me glad to live in the boonies, I can do whatever I want.  Although the lady across the street HATES my clothesline, too bad.  But about composting, as it has gotten cooler I have been accumulating ash from the firepit.  I have been told it is good by some and awful bad by others to add it to my compost pile.  Any suggestions either way?

[jasserEnv]

If you have only burned wood, you can put it in your compost but don't put too much in at a time because otherwise it changes the chemistry of the pile. My parents always put it in, but a little at a time. They keep their ashes in a pale near the compost pile to add when they remember. Also if you have burned plastics or cans in the fire it is not so good to use the ashes especially if the compost is going to go in your garden. You will be eating the toxins that are generated from the combustion because they don't get broken down as easily as other materials do when they are burned.

[ConservativeGreen]

Thanks.  I only burn fallen branches and with as many trees as I have that is an endless supply.

[Green Thumb]

ConservativeGreen, on 22 November 2011 - 09:06 AM, said:

Thanks.  I only burn fallen branches and with as many trees as I have that is an endless supply.

Speaking of burning, some of the old people in our place already recourse to burying. They would dig a ground where they will put the twigs, branches and leaves that they sweep every morning and when it’s filled they would cover it again with soil. It also serves as a garbage post sometimes. I’m just not sure if all of what they put in there are edible for the land. Then when it’s filled they would dig another. Effortless composting in their terms, I must say, if all that they put in there degrades to join the land mass.

[ConservativeGreen]

The previous owners of my property buried quite a bit.  A few years ago when I turned up a plot for a garden I hauled several truckloads of their garbage to the recycling center.  They buried glass bottles, coffee cans, oil bottles and I even found a transmission crossmember in there. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.  If I keep going I might find clean but for now if it didn't come from the soil I won't be putting it in the soil.

[gangandealer]

I have been composting for a while now... maybe 2 years. I started out by just throwing scraps and apple cores into my garden, but it attracted bugs and was really smelly, so I bought a compost bin and have been using it ever since. Once a year I end up getting soil out of the compost bin and spread it around my garden.