Parting Thoughts
Making the Most of Compost A RESPONSIBLE WAY FOR MANAGING WASTE WORDS KRISTINA HELD
W
ho takes out the garbage in your family? I recently read that married couples are happier if the husband fulfills traditional male roles such as taking out the garbage, repairing leaky faucets and other brawny endeavors. I suppose this is true, in part, at our household, though we have a strict rule that if I cook dinner, he does the dishes—and you are looking at this family’s top chef. But trash duty is a particularly interesting role here since we have elected to have two very distinct garbage piles: one that is for compost and one for “everything else.” After we moved in together and realized how much trash two people can amass, my husband and I were a little stunned. It was summer, and the produce consumption around our kitchen was high, as it should be that time of year. Who wants to turn on an oven when you’re already living in a sauna? Cornhusks, strawberry tops, citrus peels, vegetable scraps—you name it, it was in our house. Inevitably, our trashcan overflowed with the vestiges of our summer feasts, and between the overripe smell and overall dankness of the garbage, we were taking out the trash every day, which felt both wasteful and tiresome. By September, we had had enough and were in need of a change. A friend recommended composting. Visions of a commune floated around in my head, and I felt compelled to remind my friend we weren’t hippies. Shocked at my naïveté, she gently reminded me that times are changing and that it really was a simple process. She suggested compostable bags and a small green trashcan that would sit inside the cabinet next to our larger, more general trash. This small bag could be filled within a day or two, depending on the season, and easily disposed of to a compost bin in the back yard. This is the task that primarily falls to my husband, and I certainly think we are happier for it. 34 Mt. Pleasant Lifestyle | April 2014
After more than half a year of this routine, we have reduced trash bags and are more aware of what we throw away while simultaneously returning goods like banana peels and coffee grounds back to their original source. We take out solid waste only once a week, and much of that humid, smelly atmosphere has disappeared from under the sink. For us, it feels like a healthy and easy decision that has not only saved us money but has also made us more eco-conscious and mindful of our behaviors. Whether it’s about going green, eco-awareness or the giant trash island in the Pacific Ocean, conversations surrounding the environment can be polarizing. Arguments abound over whether climate change is a government conspiracy or an inevitable fate. Interestingly, despite it being a large political issue and one that is supposed to be based on facts and statistics, climate change and other environmental factors speak directly to our emotions, making it even riper for intense debate. Reports claiming that our children and our children’s children will be living in a landfill dense with smog, dodging super-storms and high-octane rays from the rapidly dissipating ozone layer feel like they are aimed directly at our hearts. Wouldn’t I want the best for my children and the generations to come? Better turn off the faucet while I brush my teeth! Of course, our scenario isn’t as extreme—we’re simply taking out a couple bags of compost each week. But in our small way, it feels like we are making a difference. Are we that much closer to believing that a compost a day keeps climate change at bay? Maybe not, but at least we are creating a better world for our neighbors and ourselves. Small changes yield big results.