When we moved in, we started composting our kitchen scraps. While we had a garbage disposal in the kitchen sink, we soon learned to not use it in order to minimize the chances of clogging up the long, long run out to the septic tank. Eventually we had it removed and have never regretted the decision. One thing we did come to regret is our initial choice of compost bin for the kitchen counter. We got a Full Circle Green “bin” that took those green “compostable” bags, and over the years we began to hate it. All the various bags we tried were fiddly, prone to premature tearing, and worst of all, often broke apart when we lifted them from the bin. On top of that, replacement bags often came in a shopping box full of packing peanuts.
After cleaning up the pile of rotting food and coffee grounds that had once again spilled all over the kitchen counter for the umpteenth time, I started doing yet more research (aka online shopping). In about 20 minutes, I found the perfect solution: a wee bucket that doesn’t require those stupid bags–the OXO Easy-Clean Compost Bin. It’s smaller than the Full Circle, but because it needs no bags, it holds more. And after emptying the big stuff into a larger outdoor compost setup, you can clean it by just swilling some water around, and as composting does need a bit of extra water, you just dump the water into the big bin. Suddenly the chore of emptying the compost got so much easier and less risky.
In addition to our kitchen scraps, we also compost our yard “waste.” We have an area next to the old stables where large tree limbs and leaves and palm fronds end up. Since moving here, we have yet to roll our big green trash-company-provided-bin to the end of the driveway, as why would we? We have plenty of space and composting areas makes so many wild creatures happy.
Whenever I drive down the mountain on trash day, I always wonder why many of my neighbors don’t do the same. We’re all on large lots with plenty of space, but instead of keeping all that natural goodness that eventually breaks down to free nutrient-rich dirt, most neighbors have two or more green bins out every week. All those bins are then picked up by a second thirty-thousand pound garbage truck that ventures up here each week, which creates more wear and tear on the road. Some of those residents then complain about large trucks coming up here when a construction project is happening and creating wear and tear on the road…