Latest news with #composting
New York Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
I Hate, Therefore I Am
I said a good word about Elon Musk not long ago. It was at a party. I'd had some punch. (Two cups. Maybe two and a half?) I think it was something about Starlink. I'm not sure. I'd just read Walter Isaacson's affable Musk biography. My interlocutor, a genial fellow professor, looked at me as if I'd kicked his dog. Why? Because we (good people, Whole Foods shoppers, composting mavens, pronouns respecters) don't like Elon. In fact, we hate him. Truly, we do. We once aspired to drive a Tesla, but no more. Everything about him is bad. I find hate to be virtually omnipresent in the current culture. Libs hate conservatives, and conservatives hate 'em right back. People hate politicians, the elite, MAGA hats (and their wearers), social media (though they cannot stay away from it). Some hate the rich. Some despise immigrants. People hate the media. They hate corporations. They hate capitalism. They hate woke and cancel culture. They hate globalism and globalists. They hate this president. There is love out there to be sure — for Beyoncé, for Pedro Pascal and, yes, even for this president, but hate trumps love by a mile now, or so it seems to me. Why should this be true? Descartes had a famous dictum about the constitutive powers of the thinking self: I think therefore I am. Could it be that, today, I hate, therefore I am? What if who and what we hate is who we are now? Why might hate be constructive — crucially constructive — of identity at this particular point in time? And why should possessing identity matter so much to us? The traditional sources of stable selfhood have been significantly depleted over time. We live in an age of skepticism, often corrosive skepticism, about our institutions and their good intentions. Perhaps we are not wrong to do so. To speak personally, the revelations about priestly child molesting sent me to a level of antipathy to the Catholic Church (in which I grew up) that stays with me still. Many others have had similar experiences — about bank bailouts or Covid school closures or President Joe Biden's reported mental acuity. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Forbes
2 days ago
- General
- Forbes
Leading The Way On Curbside Composting: What It Takes To Succeed
Composting redirects organic waste from landfills, replenishes nutrients in the soil and reduces ... More dependency on chemical fertilizers. When it comes to sustainability, many Americans separate their aluminum cans from their trash without a second thought. But when it comes to food scrap composting – arguably a more impactful climate action than recycling – most households still default to the trash can. Despite mounting evidence of its environmental and economic benefits, curbside composting remains far from mainstream. Editor of BioCycle Nora Goldstein According to BioCycle's 2023 residential food waste collection access survey, only 12% of U.S. households have access to municipally-supported composting, which can include curbside collection or drop-off locations. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition estimates that at least 27% of the U.S. population has access to some form of composting when paid subscription services are included. 'We have a long way to go,' said Nora Goldstein, editor of BioCycle and a decades-long tracker of composting infrastructure in the U.S. 'The easy default for jurisdictions is still just to collect all commingled trash, rather than separate organics that can be composted.' According to the EPA, food waste is the single largest category of material sent to landfills and incinerators, where it generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Food waste is the source of more than half of landfill greenhouse gas emissions. Composting redirects organic waste from landfills, replenishes nutrients in the soil and reduces dependency on chemical fertilizers. Economic benefits include lower waste hauling fees and job creation, and finished compost is sold or given away as natural soil amendment for residential and commercial use. Soil degradation and poor soil health are causing significant problems worldwide. So why haven't more cities made curbside composting easier, or even mandatory? Curbside Composting Is Growing, But Access Lags California and Vermont are the only two states that currently mandate some form of household curbside composting access; Washington state's law becomes effective in 2030. But even those laws have their limits. Vermont's composting program is mainly drop-off in centralized locations, rather than curbside. In California, many jurisdictions have struggled to comply with the state's 2022 mandate. Meanwhile, large cities like San Francisco and New York have led the way. New York City recently expanded its curbside composting program citywide and mandated composting compliance effective April 1, 2025, subject to fines. Yet even in jurisdictions where access exists, participation is another story. 'There's a big difference between access and participation,' Goldstein said, explaining that it's not just about handing people an organics collection bin. 'Successful programs are the ones that invest in ongoing outreach and education and treat it as an essential service, not an optional nice-to-have.' Behavior, Not Just Curbside Composting Bins Strategic communications expert Mimi Shah Strategic communications expert Mimi Shah, Principal at Amplify for Change, has seen firsthand what drives – or blocks – household participation in curbside composting. 'A lot of people hesitate to compost for pretty basic reasons,' Shah said. 'They think they don't have space for it in their kitchen, they worry it'll smell, or they're afraid it'll attract pests. But with a little awareness and education, those usually fade.' Goldstein and Shah both emphasized that curbside composting behavior change follows the familiar Rogers innovation adoption curve, and that convincing innovators and early adopters before the general population is most effective. 'You need good policies and consistent messaging that make it feel normal, or even expected, to separate food scraps,' Shah said. 'Fee structures or fines can help tip the scales. And one of the biggest levers is social influence.' Curbside Composting Greenwashing and Misconceptions As curbside composting becomes more visible, so do misleading claims and ineffective tools. Some devices sold as electric countertop composters and 'compostable' packaging that isn't third-party certified are often more marketing than science. 'Greenwashing isn't so much at the municipal level, it's vendors that are taking advantage of growing interest in food scraps and recycling collection,' Goldstein said, noting that there is no oversight of vendors' claims. A comprehensive solution is one that includes smart shopping to reduce food waste to begin with, and composting what can't be consumed. What Will It Take Make Curbside Composting Mainstream? To bring curbside composting into the mainstream, the path is clear: enforceable mandates, consistent education, scalable infrastructure, and smart policies that shift both cost and culture. But perhaps most of all, it takes time and a normalization of the idea that food scraps aren't trash. 'Once folks build the habit,' Shah said, 'it becomes second nature. And honestly, it starts to feel unnatural to throw food scraps in the trash.' In the end, that cultural shift – where tossing food scraps in the trash feels weird – may be the tipping point curbside composting needs. And that's exactly the kind of weird the planet needs. Did you enjoy this story on curbside composting? Don't miss my next column: use the blue 'follow' button at the top of the article near my byline to follow my work, and check out my other columns here.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Wondering about your green bin? It will soon be on its way to you
The Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA) will soon begin sending out green bins to home that requested one. Around 120,000 homes will receive one, as Windsor looks to reduce food waste and keep organic foods out of the landfill. The 'Green Bins are Coming' campaign begins July 21, where kits will be dropped off to single-family homes in the region. Delivery will continue into October. The kits will include a 120-litre green bin, a seven-litre kitchen catcher, a how-to-guide, and a sample of compostable bags. The bin will also have a sticker on it, reminding you to write your address on the lid, as it is linked to a tracking system for repairs and replacements. Phase one includes Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Tecumseh, and Windsor. Phase two will include Amherstburg, Kingsville, and Leamington and will see green bin delivery in Fall 2026. Here's the full schedule for delivery: The week of July 20 Zone 4A in Windsor The week of July 27 Zone 4B and 3B in Windsor The week of Aug. 3 Zone 3A and 3B in Windsor The week of Aug. 10 Zone 3A and 2B in Windsor The week of Aug. 17 Zone 2B and 1B in Windsor Essex Wards 1, 2, 3 The week of Aug. 24 All of Tecumseh Area 3 in Lakeshore Essex Ward 4 Lakeshore Area 1 and 2 LaSalle on Friday The week of Aug. 31 Lakeshore Area 1 and 2 LaSalle on Friday The week of Sept. 7 LaSalle on Friday LaSalle on Tuesday Zone 2A in Windsor The week of Sept. 14 Zone 2A, 3A, 1A in Windsor The week of Sept. 21 Zone 1A in Windsor More information on the green bins can be found here or by downloading the Recycle Coach app. When collection starts in the fall, only the official EWSWA Green Bin will be picked up.
CTV News
07-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Here's why a Vancouver councillor wants to see a ban on garburators
Food waste in an in-sink garbage disposal is shown in this image. (Credit: Shutterstock) A Vancouver councillor is hoping to move the city closer to banning the use of in-sink garbage disposals to get rid of food waste that ought to be composted instead. Green Coun. Pete Fry's motion 'A Drain on Resources and Resources Down the Drain: Pulling the Plug on In-Sink Garbage Disposal' is set to come to council this week and notes other cities including Victoria, Toronto, Kingston and Squamish already have bans in place. 'Garburators were once very in-fashion and the idea was that you could just grind your organic waste, and it would just disappear down the drain,' Fry told CTV News. But it doesn't disappear, he said, it ends up in wastewater treatment plants where it puts a strain on the infrastructure. 'It actually cost us, and it costs us all,' Fry said, pointing to the ballooning cost of the Northshore Wastewater Treatment Plant as an example of why taxpayers and residents ought to be concerned with what is flowing through those facilities. One of the issues Fry points to is that food waste can contain fats and oils which congeal into so-called 'fatbergs.' Fry notes Metro Vancouver spends millions per year clearing the costly clogs. The motion, Fry explained, is two-fold. First, it encourages public education about the impact of using in-sink garbage disposals to get rid of food waste and to promote composting instead. 'If we can mitigate and minimize the amount of organic material that has to be screened and removed from the system, it's probably a good thing for us,' he said. Second, it seeks to ban garburators in all new builds in the city by amending the building bylaw. The end goal, Fry said, is to 'just eliminate them altogether.' The councillor noted that Vancouver considered a ban in 2017 but did not implement one. Council will vote on the motion Wednesday. With files from CTV New Vancouver's Isabella Zavarise
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Should bioplastics be counted as compost? Debate pits farmers against manufacturers
Greg Pryor began composting yard and food waste for San Francisco in 1996, and today he oversees nine industrial-sized composting sites in California and Oregon that turn discarded banana peels, coffee grounds, chicken bones and more into a dark, nutrient-rich soil that farmers covet for their fields and crops. His company, Recology, processes organic waste from cities and municipalities across the Bay Area, Central Valley, Northern California, Oregon and Washington — part of a growing movement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing food waste in landfills. But, said Pryor, if bioplastic and compostable food packaging manufacturers' get their way, the whole system could collapse. At issue is a 2021 California law, known as Assembly Bill 1201, which requires that products labeled 'compostable' must actually break down into compost, not contaminate soil or crops with toxic chemicals, and be readily identifiable to both consumers and solid waste facilities. The law also stipulates that products carrying a "compostable" label must meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program requirements, which only allow for plant and animal material in compost feedstock, and bar all synthetic substances and materials — plastics, bioplastics and most packaging materials — except for newspaper or other recycled paper without glossy or colored ink. The USDA is reviewing those requirements at the request of a compostable plastics and packaging industry trade group. Its ruling, expected this fall, could open the door for materials such as bioplastic cups, coffee pods and compostable plastic bags to be admitted into the organic compost waste stream. Amid pressure from the industry, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery said it will await implementing its own rules on AB 1201 — originally set for Jan. 1, 2026 — until June 30, 2027, to incorporate the USDA guidelines, should there be a change. Pryor is concerned that a USDA ruling to allow certain plastic to be considered compost will contaminate his product, make it unsaleable to farmers, and undermine the purpose of composting — which is to improve soil and crop health. Plastics, microplastics and toxic chemicals can hurt and kill the microorganisms that make his compost healthy and valued. Research also shows these materials, chemicals and products can threaten the health of crops grown in them. And while research on new generation plastics made from plant and other organic fibers have more mixed findings — suggesting some fibers, in some circumstances, may not be harmful — Pryor said the farmers who buy his compost don't want any of it. They've told him they won't buy it if he accepts it in his feedstock. "If you ask farmers, hey, do you mind plastic in your compost? Every one of them will say no. Nobody wants it," he said. However, for manufacturers of next-generation, "compostable" food packaging products — such as bioplastic bags, cups and takeout containers made from corn, kelp or sugarcane fibers — those federal requirements present an existential threat to their industry. That's because California is moving toward a new waste management regime which, by 2032, will require all single-use plastic packaging products sold in the state to be either recyclable or compostable. If the products these companies have designed and manufactured for the sole purpose of being incorporated in the compost waste stream are excluded, they will be shut out of the huge California market. They say their products are biodegradable, contain minimal amounts of toxic chemicals and metals, and provide an alternative to the conventional plastics used to make chip bags, coffee pods and frozen food trays — and wind up in landfills, rivers and oceans. "As we move forward, not only are you capturing all this material ... such as coffee grounds, but there isn't really another packaging solution in terms of finding an end of life," for these products, said Alex Truelove, senior policy manager for the Biodegradable Product Institute, a trade organization for compostable packaging producers. "Even if you could recycle those little cups, which it seems like no one is willing to do ... it still requires someone to separate out and peel off the foil top and dump out the grounds. Imagine if you could just have a really thin covering or really thin packaging, and then you could just put it all in" the compost he said. "How much more likely would it be for people to participate?" Truelove and Rhodes Yepsen, the executive director of the bioplastic institute, also point to compost bin and can liners, noting that many people won't participate in separating out their food waste if they can't put it in a bag — the "yuck" factor. If you create a compostable bag, they say, more people will buy into the program. The institute — whose board members include or have included representatives from the chemical giant BASF Corp., polystyrene manufacturer Dart Container, Eastman Chemical Co. and PepsiCo — is lobbying the federal and state government to get its products into the compost stream. The institute also works as a certifying body, testing, validating and then certifying compostable packaging for composting facilities across the U.S. and Canada. In 2023, it petitioned the USDA to reconsider its exclusion of certain synthetic products, calling the current requirements outdated and "one of the biggest stumbling blocks" to efforts in states, such as California, that are trying to create a circular economy, in which products are designed and manufactured to be reused, recycled or composted. In response, the federal agency contracted the nonprofit Organics Material Review Institute to compile a report evaluating the research that's been conducted on these products' safety and compostability. The institute's report, released in April, highlighted a variety of concerns including the products' ability to fully biodegrade — potentially leaving microplastics in the soil — as well as their tendency to introduce forever chemicals, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and other toxic chemicals into the soil. "Roughly half of all bioplastics produced are non-biodegradable," the authors wrote. "To compensate for limitations inherent to bioplastic materials, such as brittleness and low gas barrier properties, bioplastics can contain additives such as synthetic polymers, fillers, and plasticizers. The specific types, amounts, and hazards of these chemicals in bioplastics are rarely disclosed." The report also notes that while some products may break down relatively efficiently in industrial composting facilities, when left out in the environment, they may not break down at all. What's more, converting to biodegradable plastics entirely could result in an increase in biodegradable waste in landfills — and with it emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, the authors wrote. Yepsen and Truelove say their organization won't certify any products in which PFAS — a chemical often used to line cups and paper to keep out moisture — was intentionally added, or which is found in levels above a certain threshold. And they require 90% biodegradation of the products they certify. Judith Enck, a former regional Environmental Protection Agency director, and the founder of Beyond Plastics, an anti-plastic waste environmental group based in Bennington, Vt., said the inclusion of compost as an end-life option for packaging in California's new waste management regime was a mistake. "What it did was to turn composting into a waste disposal strategy, not a soil health strategy," she said. "The whole point of composting is to improve soil health. But I think what's really driving this debate right now is consumer brand companies who just want the cheapest option to keep producing single-use packaging. And the chemical companies, because they want to keep selling chemicals for packaging and a lot of so-called biodegradable or compostable packaging contains those chemicals." Bob Shaffer, an agronomist and coffee farmer in Hawaii, said he's been watching these products for years, and won't put any of those materials in his compost. "Farmers are growing our food, and we're depending on them. And the soils they grow our crops in need care," he said. "I'll grow food for you, and I'll grow gorgeous food for you, but give us back the food stuff you're not using or eating, so we can compost it, return it to the soil, and make a beautiful crop for you. But be mindful of what you give back to us. We can't grow you beautiful food from plastic and toxic chemicals." Recology's Pryor said the food waste his company receives has increasingly become polluted with plastic. He pointed toward a pile of food waste at his company's composting site in the San Joaquin Valley town of Vernalis. The pile looked less like a heap of rotting and decaying food than a dirty mound of plastic bags, disposable coffee cups, empty, greasy chip bags and takeout boxes. "I've been doing this for more than three decades, and I can tell you the food we process hasn't changed over that time," he said. "Neither have the leaves, brush and yard clippings we bring in. The only thing that's changed? Plastics and biodegradable plastics." He said if the USDA and CalRecycle open the doors for these next-generation materials, the problem is just going to get worse. "People are already confused about what they can and can't put in," he said. "Opening the door for this stuff is jut going to open the floodgates. For all kinds of materials. It's a shame." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
