Next Level Composting... Year Three Project
We started the Just One Acre and White Pallet projects with a goal to change our local community and make it more green. At this point, we have started looking at the next level composting in our neighborhoods and the Year Three Project.
The goal is to take things that could not previously be recycled or composted and compost or recycle them. That easy. Right? There are two factors that come into play with composting initiatives; labor and patience.
We have been looking at things that have simply been missed. We took a look at one of our biggest pet peeves; paper coffee cups. Paper coffee cups have a plastic polyethelene liner that keeps it from being recycled or composted. The primary reason is because the liner is hard to separate from the paper in the cup. It takes time and effort.
Since it takes time and effort no one is willing to do it. Thus, it does not get done. Estimates say that it can take up to 1000 years for it to break down. What if someone was willing to take the time? What if someone was willing to put in the effort.
The Year Three project looks at how we can break those things down or put them to use. The Year Three Program is going to look at the individual parts of our waste. The problem is that we do not like looking at our garbage. It scares us. It intimidates us.
This project looks at the individual aspects of our garbage. We are a smart society. The problem with the coffee cup is that we need to separate the paper from the polyethelene liner. The plan is to separate the cups from the regular compost. Then we compost the cups initially for 90 days. This will loosen the liners from the paper and the paper will begin to break down.
The next step is to sift the plastic out. From there it is not pure, so it will be important to continue to compost it. It will be continually mixed with new and incoming compost. In year two that compost will be put to use in special projects and for growing ornamentals and non-edibles.
Finally, in year three, it can be mixed into general compost usage.
We are seeing a lot of things that need to be done on the horizon. Recently, for example, China has engaged in its Green Wall program and enforcing its National Sword policy of sending recyclables and refuse that the U.S. had sent to them. With so much waste headed east, China can afford to be picky and the mass is already piling up.
At this point, if not for the world, then for the U.S. we need to develop interim methods of dealing with our waste and not just finding new places to bury it or export it to. With the new things that we are doing, we will engage the problem. Let's face it, Starbucks is not going anywhere (in the interest of full disclosure, I am a big fan of Starbucks) It may not be done in 100 days like the rest of our compost, but it also won't be 1000 years buried in a landfill.
The goal is to take things that could not previously be recycled or composted and compost or recycle them. That easy. Right? There are two factors that come into play with composting initiatives; labor and patience.
We have been looking at things that have simply been missed. We took a look at one of our biggest pet peeves; paper coffee cups. Paper coffee cups have a plastic polyethelene liner that keeps it from being recycled or composted. The primary reason is because the liner is hard to separate from the paper in the cup. It takes time and effort.
Since it takes time and effort no one is willing to do it. Thus, it does not get done. Estimates say that it can take up to 1000 years for it to break down. What if someone was willing to take the time? What if someone was willing to put in the effort.
The Year Three project looks at how we can break those things down or put them to use. The Year Three Program is going to look at the individual parts of our waste. The problem is that we do not like looking at our garbage. It scares us. It intimidates us.
This project looks at the individual aspects of our garbage. We are a smart society. The problem with the coffee cup is that we need to separate the paper from the polyethelene liner. The plan is to separate the cups from the regular compost. Then we compost the cups initially for 90 days. This will loosen the liners from the paper and the paper will begin to break down.
The next step is to sift the plastic out. From there it is not pure, so it will be important to continue to compost it. It will be continually mixed with new and incoming compost. In year two that compost will be put to use in special projects and for growing ornamentals and non-edibles.
Finally, in year three, it can be mixed into general compost usage.
We are seeing a lot of things that need to be done on the horizon. Recently, for example, China has engaged in its Green Wall program and enforcing its National Sword policy of sending recyclables and refuse that the U.S. had sent to them. With so much waste headed east, China can afford to be picky and the mass is already piling up.
At this point, if not for the world, then for the U.S. we need to develop interim methods of dealing with our waste and not just finding new places to bury it or export it to. With the new things that we are doing, we will engage the problem. Let's face it, Starbucks is not going anywhere (in the interest of full disclosure, I am a big fan of Starbucks) It may not be done in 100 days like the rest of our compost, but it also won't be 1000 years buried in a landfill.
Find us on line at www.thelifecooperative.org
Want to find out more? Contact us at life@thelifecooperative.org
Comments
Post a Comment