Washington’s King County (home of Seattle) is pushing the envelope on food waste collection. Why should Thanksgiving be any different?
Monday, a neighborhood in Renton, Wash., dumped turkey carcasses and other Thanksgiving leftovers in a public location 
as part of a composting demo organized by the County recycling team. I’m guessing the county carted away the pile after the cameras left. And hopefully these were already cooked down to make soup or stock.
The awareness-building event raises a debated topic in composting: meat. From what I understand, you can compost meat scraps and dairy, but you have to really know what you’re doing to get the pile hot enough. Translation: Commercial composting operations can process meat , but it’s not the best idea for backyard dirt jockeys like me.
On King County, I think it’s fabulous that they collect and compost food. Less inspiring–the county’s no frills slogan:
Recycle Food. It’s Easy To Do
Even less inspiring: the county sending the message that refrigerated foods are not fit for donation. That condemns too much grocery and restaurant remains to the waste basket, er, compost bin. Seattle’s Food Lifeline has a Grocery Rescue program and Seattle’s Table programs with refrigerated trucks.
As always, just because we’re recycling, doesn’t mean we should relax about trying to minimize waste–and feed hungry people!
3 Comments
About composting meat and dairy: the problem isn’t getting the pile hot enough. It’s rodents. Rodents are disproportionately attracted to meat and dairy. There are a number of ways around this problem.
1. Keep your pile away from buildings. It doesn’t have to be a quarter mile away, just far enough that any rodents that show up don’t bug you or your neighbors.
2. Have a pile big enough to bury the meat in the middle, where the rodents don’t get to it.
3. Have a hot pile. This is easier than it sounds. A hot pile is one that is big enough and with about the right proportions of greens (things that get stinky/mushy when they get old, like carrot tops) and browns (things that get dry/crackly when they get old, like leaves). Large enough is 3’x3’x3′; the right proportions is about 50% by volume, of greens and browns. If you can manage these two things, chances are very good that your inputs will decompose fast enough that it gets hot. Heck, mine got over 170F.
A great further source is the “Soil, Compost, and Mulch” forum at gardenweb.com.
I read and love your blog and I think this is the first time I’ve commented. But I wrote a blog post last night about making a ham for dinner on Sunday and the leftover meals that followed all week and I couldn’t help but think about your blog. I am sure there is more I could do but I felt very proud that I was able to avoid the waste – I used ever bit of that ham including the bone to make spit pea and ham soup. There was zero wasted food.
That may be the only benefit to living in chillier climes–here in Texas, a weekly compost pickup would not be sufficient. Not without some additional intervention, anyway. Bokashi’d be my suggestion, but then, I’m kind of obsessed that way -G- (Among other benefits, it allows for the safer at-home reclamation of nutrients from meats, dairies, and oils! For you “backyard dirt jockeys,” and those of us without even a yard.) Wish our munacipality did as much, though I don’t think I’ll be plastering their slogan on a bucket anytime soon.
DSF
http://bokashislope.blogspot.com
…don’t call me Seymour!