Environmental Concerns

I think everyone is familiar with my thoughts on “urban composting,” a.k.a. collecting organic materials  and having them picked up once a week by a truck which takes them to composting site instead of a landfill. I’m all for it, composting, that is. Cutting down on harmful levels of greenhouse gasses is right up my alley. I also enjoy the idea of harvesting nutritious soil out of particles from your very own food waste.

My problem with composting arises only when it is done in small apartments, under the sink.

This bothers me because of the smell. I walk into my apartment (keep in mind this place is TINY – only three bedrooms, narrow hallway, bathroom, and kitchen), and I am confronted by rotting vegetables, tea bags and banana peels. It is rank. When you open the cupboard a swarm of fruit flies catapult upward and stick to your teeth. It’s like being in the Outback in the middle of summer, but I’m just in my kitchen throwing away a Diet Coke can (into the recycling bin). I have tried a covered container, I have tried storing the compost just outside the front door. I’m out of ideas. It’s unlikely that I will be able to convince my room mates that saving the Earth smells bad and we shouldn’t do it. I need some serious suggestions on where to proceed from here.

That said, I’m totally into my Reusable Bottle which I got at the adorable Eco Boutique on 18th. I’ve discovered that drinking from metal is way more fun than sipping from plastic, and it’s better for the environment too!