Compost: The Alternative to Waste

As I am sure you probably already know by now, I hate to waste. Especially food. My biggest pet peeve is leaving two last bites on the plate. I cannot stand it—Just eat it the last bite, please! For me, it is a reminder that we live in a time and place that we have the luxury to leave the last of our food to waste.

I even consider that throwing out the scrapes from cooking to be wasting, such as coffee grounds and eggshells. Even though we do not eat these items, I know that they can be used in a better purpose. Composting was always a practice that I took for granted, growing up on a farm where compost was not only utilized, but necessary. When I moved to the city, I felt the shame kicking in every time I threw out the onion peel. If we recycle plastic and glass here, why does it seem so difficult to also recycle our food?

I live in the middle of Washington DC, in an apartment without a roof top, or a balcony, and therefore no place to put compost to use, let alone a place to store it while it is actually composting. So, like most people in the city, I cut my losses and threw away the food bits. I let it go by telling myself that there was nothing more I could do. But, oh how wrong I was!

One day, I received an email from my wonderful roommate informing me that we were going to compost, right in our apartment—without the mess, without the smell, without even the garden. It is all brought to us by Compost Cab, which started in 2010. It is an amazing initiative in Washington D.C. that allows we city dwellers to dispose of organic waste, guilt free.

Essentially, the only difference is that we have an extra bucket provided to you with a sealable lid to keep the smell down next to our recycle basket and trash bin. Then once a week, we put the bin outside, it is picked up and taken to an urban farm for use.

When I tell people with joy that we started composting at my home, people usually give me a look that says “Oh, you crazy hippy.” When I explain the system, some people seem genuinely interested, but others continue to roll their eyes and state something like, “I don’t want worms” or “I don’t have space for it.”

First of all, there are no worms in this stage of the system. Second, put the bin next to the trashcan, put it in a corner, or put it outside! The best thing about it is that anyone can do it. Everyone creates a fair amount of organic waste while prepping a meal or snack, and while I completely understand the lack of personal garden space in the city, it doesn’t mean that someone else can utilize those organics for good.

Check Compost Cab out online and see for yourself at http://compostcab.com/