» compost

Happy Composting.

Krystal Persaud — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:04:36 +0000

It has been almost a year since the Closed Loop started– one year of composting all of my food waste. I have got to say, the transition was not that difficult. I should start weighing the amount of compost I collect every week, it would be interesting to see how many pounds of food waste is composted in one year.

The photo above is what the compost bin looks like in my apartment in Atlanta. Somehow it always morphs into a smiley face… basically, we collect the food in a bin that is [unfortunately] lined with plastic bags. It is the easiest way to transport the compost to my roommmate’s house in rural Georgia. We are hopefully going to switch to biodegradable plastic bags soon. The Georgia Tech campus dining halls compost all their food waste — but they are hesitant to let students compost their food waste there as well.

Banana Peel Problem

Krystal Persaud — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:10:51 +0000

Sometimes parents do not know better. I am trying to conduct my “closed loop” experiment at home, but it is not going very well. I tried to start off by setting up a composting system. My parents have a HUGE backyard and vegetable garden so I thought it would work perfectly. However, on the second day I was home I went outside to throw a banana peel on the grass and my mom yelled at me! She said I should throw it in the trash instead. I tried to explain that biodegradable and generally non bacteria growing food waste does not belong in the garbage….but her response was that the banana peel will attract deer and racoons to our house. She is kind of correct though.. I never thought about all the wild animals that live in my area. But where will I throw my banana peels? Maybe I can take her to Home Depot with me and convince her to invest in a composting barrel with me. Maybe the animals wont go for the barrel? BUT at the same time, what is so wrong with these animals eating our leftover food waste? It is the ultimate, most efficient way to use the food waste. Sigh. Other than that, my parents are very good at recycling paper, plastic, and glass goods. I will have to work on convincing tactics… any suggestions?

I feel like its a CRIME everytime food waste gets mixed in with trash. It isn’t trash!! It can be used to supplement the earth, not landfills. I also had this argument with my boyfriend who I think just purposely instigates me to see how heated up i’ll get. Ugh. Compost people. It is important.

PS- I still throw the banana peels into the front yard, maybe thats why my moms flowers always get eaten. (Sorry Mom! I know you read this too…)

I Pledge…

Krystal Persaud — Mon, 11 May 2009 08:57:52 +0000

This is the recycling pledge that Georgia Tech has written to show students their environmental responsibilities. I think its great that Tech has these expectations of their students…but through a pledge? It sounds like a girlscout’s pledge. With Cindy Jackson as head of the recycling department, Tech has a very extensive program compared to other schools. However, I think most students aren’t aware of this! There are so many facilities available (even a computer recycling service). More info available at the Tech recycling website.

I don’t know if recycling-awareness techniques have changed in the past 5 months since I have been away, but with some changes recycling at tech could be more successful. As part of this project, I have have been thinking of ways to bring what I have learned back to Tech. I think its really important to have organic compost to reduce food waste in landfills. It is definitely a lifestyle change though. I am going to have a chat with Cindy…

Hey Tech kids– would you be willing to participate in a composting program? if it was logistically worked out, basically you would collect food waste in a seperate bin and need to deposit it somewhere periodically where it would be taken to a given composting site. Would it be hard? Easy? What do you think? Please post your answer/comments/concerns… maybe it will happen!

So Fly

Krystal Persaud — Sat, 09 May 2009 16:32:15 +0000

These are my new roommates. They moved in about two weeks ago. There are three in that picture, but there about 15 total in my room. Now that (relatively) warm weather has arrived in Sweden, my compost is attracting a great deal of flies. In the winter, my windows were always closed and my compost decomposed at a very slow rate and had a very dry texture. Nowadays it is so sunny that my compost is starting to heat up and breakdown with lots of …organic juices, to put it nicely. I know I definitely have to start putting compost in Johan’s garden more often. In the winter I almost never did because the smell was so mild. I am almost getting used to the constant sound buzzing of flies around my apartment…

I have got to say, this is really the only embarrassing situation I have experience while conducting the Closed Loop Experiment. Living with compost is manageable, living with plastic packaging is okay, but living with flies? It is a little disgusting. The other morning at 10 am, window inspections were scheduled for the whole building. When the maintenance guys entered my apartment and stood by my windows, I could see flies zipping by their faces.

What did they think of me? “Wow this girl’s apartment is so disgusting and full of trash it has its own fly colony”. Nooooo! This is the exact opposite of what I want people to think when they enter the Closed Loop apartment. The flies probably laid eggs somewhere by now to start their empire. How can I get rid of these flies without killing them?

Compostable Food Packaging by 2010?

Krystal Persaud — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:31:18 +0000

My friend Colleen just shared this link with me. Let me just say that SunChips has got its act together. In 2010 they plan on introducing the first compostable chip bag. I knew it was coming… but so soon and with such big companies?

“These innovative bags are designed to fully decompose in about 14 weeks when placed in a hot, active compost bin or pile…So you eat the chips. The earth eats the bag. And we all live in a cleaner world”.

You may be thinking…

1) What are the bags made out of? Answer: Journey for a Better Bag

2) How do they work? How are they sustainable? Answer: SunChips Behind the Scenes

2) What in the world is hot, active compost? Answer: Compost in Your Backyard

SunChips actually answers all these questions! I can’t express how frustrating it is when companies claim their products are “green” and then never explain why or how or what material. They think saying “AND product X is green so it is good for the environment” is enough information to placate people. (Maybe it is? okay that issue is a different post altogether).

Designers listen up! When you design a product and have planned out its afterlife and how it should be used and disposed of.. inform the consumers! Everyday recyclables are thrown in the trash because people are (a) lazy or (b) do not know that they are supposed to be recycling it. Communicate in someway what someone should do with an expired product. After all, you are enabling them with your design.. how are they supposed to know what you want them to do? A lot of the packaging I have left over from frozen goods and other foods without recycling labels… I have no idea what to do with. I’m not suggesting every product comes with an extra long manual because who actually reads those? Maybe new recyclable-phrases can be incorporated into packaging. Phrases like “After use, place in compost”. Or provide the user with alternatives, “For more information about re-using this bottle, visit website X”. Consumers can’t read minds; it is our job to teach them.

The way SunChips presented their new developments is so upfront and clear. I love it! They really explain themselves in a thorough way. It is like they actually want the consumer to understand and enjoy their product (what a concept). Props to Frito Lay. Check out their website for other interesting sustainable projects too.

What do other designers think?

1) Have you thought about how you want a user to dispose of your projects/products?

2) How did you want to educate them (manual, label, intuition…)

3) Is this even important to designers? Is it a designer’s job?

A Lazy Discovery

Krystal Persaud — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:29:19 +0000

Yes, I am lazy. Especially when it comes to washing dishes. I tend to collect food on plates… gross, I know. Watch this video to see how this habit helps me compost in the winter.

Name that odor…

Krystal Persaud — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:00:16 +0000

So, in addition to the frozen spoiled meat in my freezer…I forgot about this head of cabbage I bought like the second week of the semester. Why did I think I could eat an entire head of cabbage by myself? Why?? When I open the fridge its like I need to sniff everything to figure out what is going bad…

I was telling my boyfriend the other day and I think the overall smell in my room is really improving! Or I am just so used to it by now… one or the other…but honestly, a little odor never hurt anyone.. maybe that’s just the compromise that you have to take to have a sustainable home? Johan, one of my studiomates, said that he does not live so far from me AND he has a compost area outside! I will definitely be contacting him so maybe I can make period trips over to his place to empty out my organic waste.