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Mandatory Composting Begins in San Francisco Today
Beginning today, the city of San Francisco will require both businesses and residences to compost food scraps and biodegradable products or risk a fine for not properly sorting their garbage. While other cities require recycling service and participation, the law, which Mayor Gavin Newsom signed into effect in June, is the first nationwide to require the collection of food scraps and other compostables.
A study by the Department of the Environment found that 36 percent of what San Francisco sends to landfills is compostable, primarily food scraps, and 31 percent is recyclable — which is mostly paper.
Primer: Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting, or vermiculture, is a method of composting that uses worms, either red wigglers or red earthworms, in addition to bacteria, as a catalyst for the decomposition of organic waste. It can occur on a large (tons) or small scale, but it's particularly suited to kitchen composting, where space is limited. To set up a vermicompost, you first must find a bin, anything from a reused plastic bucket to a retailer compost bin, that has holes in the sides to allow air to flow, and a spout that can be opened or closed or holes in the bottom to drain into a collection tray.
Crave Worthy: Vermicondo
Levitt Goodman Architects, known for their fab prefabs, decided that worm composters posed an ugly problem for modern apartment dwellers, who lack access to backyard gardens. So, they designed the Vermicondo ($1,500), a multilevel condo for worms. Vermicondo consists of a series of shelves, an element that eliminates the need to muck through worm leftovers.
Composting 101
We've talked a little about composting in the past. Take this quiz and test your compost knowledge!
Take the quiz
Would You Use a Composting Toilet?
As you may know, I'm a huge fan of green living practices. And so is my good pal FitSugar, who made me start thinking again about composting toilets. I've used composting toilets many times in the past.Do You Compost?
Yesterday, I gave you guys a brief introduction to composting, so I'm curious how many of you separate your organic yard waste and food scraps.
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Do You Compost?
Yes.
Definition: Composting
Composting is the act of turning organic waste — i.e., all plant- and animal-derived garbage — into mulch that can be used as fertilizer. Composting can be accomplished in several ways: Some people keep compost piles in their backyards and use the mulch in their gardens, where the nutrients provide food for important micro-organisms. City-dwellers often use odor-reducing compost bins, such as this Kitchen Compost Crock, since many cities now offer sidewalk compost pickup.
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Garden Therapy: A DIY Compost Bin
Craftster member Gwydion has inspired me to use the extra lumber left over from some home projects to build a new compost pile. I'm tired of wrestling with my flimsy plastic composter, which seems to never stay in place and whose top always folds into the compost itself. Yuck!
Cool Idea: Composting Bags
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, yard trimmings and food residuals make up 25 percent of the total waste sent to the dump. By composting, you can help to reduce the amount of garbage sent to landfills.
SunChips, which is an advertiser on our site, is one of the companies working to green its business practices, and I wanted to highlight its good work in this area.
Does Your City Compost?
Of course, you can always start composting at home, but it's nice to have the option of putting your compost in a green bin on the curb once a week. Here in the Bay Area, we can compost curbside. Does your city have this service?
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