Take small steps to build better habits
by Anne Stokes
Lakeside resident Karen Prath’s journey to recycle her organic waste has had its ups and downs, but she’s found a manageable routine to keep them out of the landfill while helping San Diego County put them to good use.
“By process of elimination, I keep trying to improve the process. I just think it’s a good thing to do if they can find a way to reuse anything and everything.”
At first, she was worried with odors and pests, but found that keeping her organic waste in a tightly sealed container between trips to the curbside bin helped control both.
While she initially used compostable liners, it turned out her hauler couldn’t process them. Any plastic bags — even those marketed as compostable — can damage composting facilities’ equipment and contaminate compost material. So, she switched to using paper bags to line her kitchen food scraps pail (pictured right), which helps keep it clean. When she dumps her kitchen pail in the curbside bin, she likes to mix the food waste with yard waste to absorb moisture, further mitigating the “ick” factor.
Luckily for Karen, her granddaughter, Amanda Smith, was an excellent source of advice and help when she needed it.
“You don’t have to do it perfectly – every bit of food waste you toss in your green bin makes a difference.”
Amanda Smith
Recycling Specialist, Solid Waste and Recycling Section of the County of San Diego
“We really need to be strategic with how we handle waste and understand what can be a resource and what needs to be disposed of responsibly in the landfill,” says Amanda. “A big part of it is having a mindset change about this, because it needs to happen. Otherwise, we will face even greater challenges with increasing waste volumes and how we handle them.”
Amanda has developed a different set of habits than her grandmother. Living in an apartment, space is limited. Amanda has found success by storing food scraps in her kitchen pail under her sink and taking out the container every other day. She stresses progress, not perfection: Find a routine that works for you and don’t let mistakes derail your efforts.
“You don’t have to do it perfectly,” Amanda says. “Every bit of food waste you toss in your green bin makes a difference.”
“If you have questions, or you aren’t sure what to do, reach out to the County, talk to your neighbors, talk to your friends and your family,” she says. “This is not something that’s just happening in the County of San Diego, but across the state and in a growing number of communities nationwide.”
To learn where and how to recycle just about anything: Find out at WasteFreeSD.org
