Things are really looking up in Washington. The health care bill finally passed, the Wizards got the first pick in the NBA Draft and household compost collection will soon be available for much of the D.C. area.
While businesses have long been able to have their separated food waste picked up by Envirelation, a new operation called Compost Cab will offer the same service for households (and businesses, too) starting in June.
It seems pretty simple:
You sign up online. We provide you with a standardized bin equipped with a sturdy, compostable bag liner. You fill the bin with your organic material, and once a week, on a reliable, fuel-efficient schedule, Compost Cab picks up the bag, leaving behind only a clean bin with a new liner.
Compost Cab’s site nicely summarizes the environmental benefits of keeping food out of the landfill. Also, they give each customer 5 pounds of finished compost and 1 pound of worm castings for every 50 pounds of food the company collects. Not bad for $8 per week.
Best of all–for the Mr. T fans out there–the company’s taxi and checkerboard motifs and the District location brings back fond memories of D.C. Cab. Now if they could only get Mr. T to collect the compost, existing customers’ participation would probably…increase.
Comments
10 responses to “Beep, Beep–Anything for the Compost Heap?”
Beep beep! I pity the fool that doesn’t compost!
Thanks for the notice, Jonathan. And for the Mr. T flashback.
Peace,
Jeremy
founder, Compost Cab
No prob, Jeremy–that’s what I’m here for. Let me know when you guys begin collecting. And is it for all of the DC area?
I will second the thanks for the heads up, I will also add that there is some movement toward Municipal food composting in Northern Virginia.
Sounds good! I wonder, though… My compost pile is free, even though it doesn’t give me much compost. I wonder if I’d trade it in? On the plus side, worm casings and the ability to compost meat; on the minus side, $8/week. I shall have to weigh my food waste to see how much 50 lbs is.
My brain is clicking away – I’d probably try to convince my neighbors to put their bag into mine, so I could get compost faster. Or maybe a new category of crime: wasted food theft. I hope it’s a misdemeanor.
I’d love to see municipal food composting in NoVa, as I think that would reach a much larger swath of the population and keep more food out of the landfill. Until then…Compost Cab!
As for that rustling sound in your compost bin at night, it’s probably not a raccoon–it’s William!
[…] Wasted Food — Jonathan Bloom on food waste and how it can be avoided » Blog Archive &raq… […]
I recently returned from the Niagara Falls area of Ontario. Counties there are starting up organic waste pick-up! I’m quite envious of my friend there. The company gave me several packs of Glad-brand compostable garbage bags, which is what the county is using. I shall have to see if they’re home-compostable or just commercial-compostable. I still remember my disappointment with the so-called compostable plastic cups. They did *not* become compost in my cold backyard pile.
WilliamB,
who used to take other people’s grass clippings on the drive home from work
That rings true, William. I still have a “compostable” cup sitting in my pile from a few years back. I would guess that these corn and potato-based products are like meat scraps, in that you really need to have a “hot pile” to compost them.
Good on Niagara Falls, though!
I work for an eco-buying group (Viv Biz Club) in SF and we sell compostable and biodegradable products to our clients (many of which are restaurants and small businesses around the country); one of the biggest struggles we see with our clients is the way their waste is managed. They want to make to first step of buying eco-friendly products but find it difficult to follow through when it comes to disposing of these products (including food).
Compost Cab is a fabulous idea–I think this would encourage so many more people to compost their food without the hassle that is sometimes associated with it. Great idea!
I was in the room when this idea was born! Jeremy is making a good idea better! I also pity the fool who don’t compost! GREAT JOB!