Recycling & Compost

To keep true to pretensions and dreams of sustainability, BACH likes to maintain good standards of reusing. This is a great way also to learn the tools of the trade.

Stephen Higa, Finlandia 2005:
* About twice a week I take our compost buckets (two are necessary, as they fill up quickly) to UEL's garden. When it's cold, I wear oven mitts to protect my hands. Empty them into the bin labelled "Raw" and spread it out with a pitchfork. If you can find straw or dry leaves, use these to cover the raw compost--this layering of wet and dry is good for compost-making. You needn't turn the compost, as UEL people will do it. Back at the house, rinse the buckets with the hose; preferably, if the kitchen sink is available, wash them out with a green abrasive pad and biodegradable soap. Biodegradable bleach is also nice, but doesn't do much. Washing/bleaching won't prevent them from smelling (they are plastic, after all) but will prevent some amount of nastiness from accumulating.
* Research what sorts of containers Brown's recycling service will accept (i.e., currently, they only take plastics number 1 and 2). Take these to the CIT across the street and deposit them into the appropriate bin (nighttime is best, as you don't really want to get caught--they have to pay to have people take away their refuse, and we're freeloading). Yoghurt and Earthbalance containers cannot be recycled and must be saved for tupperware.
* Cardboard also goes to the CIT. Throw away waxed produce boxes, and set aseptic containers (i.e., soymilk boxes) aside.
* Flatten aseptic containers and stuff them into paper grocery bags. Until Brown's recycling service begins to recycle these as well, these must be taken to Whole Foods, where they will recycle them.
* Paper is divided into several tiers in the foyer: one-sided, mixed, and magazines. Thin out the one-sided paper, but do not get rid of all of it entirely--this is used for scratch paper. Divide the mixed paper: "office" paper (print-outs, letters, envelopes, xeroxes, etc.) goes into the appropriate bin, and everything else goes into the other bin. Save some amount of magazines for art. Make a box for little bits of random paper (scraps, teabags, receipts, etc.) to make things less messy. Do not worry about the newspapers in the dining room, however; this part of dining-room cleaning.
* I've been unable to find a place to recycle our used kitchen oil (i.e., the oil we've used for frying). This must be sealed and thrown away.
* Educate housemembers about recycling/compost procedures by making signs (that they will refuse to read).