I Believe in Compost.

On an evening stroll to the compost heap.

My weekly trips to the Farmer's Market and propensity for arranging flowers lead me to produce my share of green waste. Though I grew up with a compost bucket in the country, I used to think it wasn't the wost thing to throw out plant waste. Won't that banana peel just help the gnarly plastics break down faster in the landfill?  Actually, no.  It produces greenhouse gases since it doesn't have the opportunity to breakdown naturally (with oxygen).   One website claims "Recycling green waste as compost could match the environmental benefits of converting it into renewable energy, in terms of CO₂ savings, according to new German research."

The selfish reason to compost is the incredibly rich soil it creates. It's organic as well, not as risky or expensive as the petroleum-byproduct-conventional kind. Separating food waste also makes your trash way less gross. Coffee grinds, egg shells and veggie scraps are potent compost fodder. Conversely, citrus is a worm repellent and takes forever to break down. At home on Maui we consistently had avocado trees growing out of our compost.  Here I've had volunteer pumpkins erupt from my heap. 

 
School Lunch, 2010.  

I included this pictures because next year the schools in my district will start composting!  But why-oh-why do we still have both non recyclable styrofoam trays and waxy milk cartons?  I am impressed by how generally healthy the school lunches here are: variety of fresh fruits and veggies in a generous salad bar (jicama or jalepenos are surprisingly popular) and a not-always meat-centric entree. Kids eat good food when they are exposed to it.  It is the kids who bring lunches who concern me most.  Packed in a single meal I've seen:  Koolaid, chocolate pudding, Hostess cupcakes, and a few Ritz crackers.  Yikes.

Culturally and lifestyle-wise I'm pretty green. But it's not really due to a golden heart or noble-mindedness. I'm a product of my culture like anyone else. Living simply and on a real budget just leads to a less wasteful lifestyle. I am a actually a lazy do-gooder, relatively casual in my consumption, and don't do my best in this area.  Probably as a result from recent fieldtrips I've gone on intended to educate my 5-year-olds, I'm feeling committed to doing better and more. The Surfrider Foundation and local Art From Scrap are organizations that do an excellent job in promoting reuse and recycling--get involved!  I'll be making an effort to be more conscious about recycling, composting, and buying/producing less waste.