I have added a new section to the Links & Resources page called "New Links," and have posted a large selection of new resources and articles to this section today. The next time I update the links page, I will file these links under the appropriate categories, but in the meantime, I thought it might be easier to find the new links if they were separate from the existing ones. Enjoy!

I get this question a lot, so I thought it might be helpful to post my thoughts here for future reference. This isn’t so much an answer to the question, but rather additional information so that each event planner can find the answer they feel most comfortable with.

The question is: If an event or venue does not have a composting program (the infrastructure to process the compostables after the event), is it better to use compostable or plastic utensils and cups?

There are several things to consider in answering this question.

1) Most people think that if a utensil or other food ware product is compostable, it will break down even if it goes to the landfill. This is not true. It will remain in tack for decades or longer, just like everything else in the landfill. If it does start to break down at some point, it will likely do so without oxygen, forming methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times as potent as CO2 in the atmosphere.

2) A compostable utensil or cup made with poly lactic acid (PLA) uses an agricultural base for the polymer instead of a petroleum base (plastics are made from petroleum). In many cases, corn is used as the base. These products are still fairly new to the market and are more expensive that typical plastic utensils and cups.

3) Just because a cup has a #1 symbol on it, does not mean that it can be recycled. Most recycling programs in the U.S. do not accept anything but #1 or #2 plastic bottles and/or narrow neck containers. Utensils are very rarely, if ever, recycled. The number and symbol on plastic products relates to the resin used to make the product, and does not mean it can be recycled. Recyclability is determined by the markets and infrastructure, i.e., whether anyone is willing to buy the collected plastics and can reprocess them without losing money.

Based on this information, my opinion is that if you can’t compost the compostable products, it is better to waste the plastic than the compostable products. To me, there is extra waste associated with wasting (versus composting) compostable products: the extra resources used to purchase them (money) and the corn or agricultural base which could have been used for food instead of a single use product that is discarded instead of used to generate compost.

Of course, there is the need to drive the market for compostable products, so the compostable product prices eventually decrease. Corn and agricultural products are also renewable, whereas petroleum is not. Some vendors and venues chose to purchase compostable products for these reasons even though they get thrown away. I just have a hard time justifying the extra resources needed to waste them for the sake of building demand. Plus, the infrastructure to process the compostable food ware products needs to be developed along with the compostable products, and the extra money going into the products is not going into local infrastructure to process it. At least not yet. The infrastructure piece is often forgotten.

By far, the best answer to this question is to use neither compostable ware nor plastic ware, and to use reusable products instead. I.e., dishes and utensils that can be washed and used again. Of course, there is an extra cost in water and energy resources to haul and wash these dishes, but at least they eliminate the need for single-use, disposable products.

As with most questions of what is more sustainable, there is no easy answer. There are many factors to consider, several of which are determined by the local infrastructure in which an event is held. Save resources, drive markets, build infrastructure. They really all go hand in hand.

I recently made a trip home to NC for a visit with family and friends. Hence, some of the radio silence lately. Once I settled in there, it felt as though I had stepped back in time, into the dark ages (or at least several decades). Internet access was not available at one of the two places I stayed, people spoke and acted slloooowwwly, Styrofoam cups were everywhere and recycling was extremely hard to come by. Food scrap composting wasn’t an option at all. In Henderson County, where I grew up and visited, there was no curbside pick-up for the county and only one option for drop off…the county dump. Curbside pick-up was offered to the city of Hendersonville, roughly equivalent in size to two San Francisco city blocks. However, for most of the county, recycling was out of reach.

My family, still well within the county line, lives about 15 miles from the dump. So, a round trip would take a minimum of an hour including time for driving, unloading and sorting. Most folks don’t have or make the time and space to keep their recyclables separate and haul them to the dump. This is especially true with gas prices what they are now. It is not just a matter of time and space, but money.

Even at the home of my most conscientious friends in Henderson Co., glass bottles, aluminum cans and paper were still going in the trash. This was very painful to me. I was tempted to dig through their trash, pull out all the recyclables, and haul them back to Asheville to one of the drop-off recycling centers. This wasn’t a very rational thought. It would only work on the days I was there, and then everything would go right back in the dump again once I left. This pained me even more. I thought, “Am I a radical for wanting to dig these precious materials out of their trash? Why is this a radical thought?”

Food scraps were even harder for me to throw away. I ate every last bite of every meal served to me in restaurants. Fortunately, I ate at some really good restaurants, so this was not difficult. When I ate at my family’s house, I threw any remaining food scraps out in the back yard for the animals to enjoy. I figured this would be better than sending the scraps to the landfill where they would eventually create methane.

I was often seen standing over the waste bin with something in my hand that I just could not throw away, but which everyone else expected me to. They didn’t understand my hesitation. Or, I would separate plastics from paper in preparation of recycling and composting, only to find only one option for disposal...waste. This was the weirdest situation. To have knowledge that these materials could save tons of green house gases if recycled and reused, but no means or infrastructure to exert the knowledge. Understanding the consequences of throwing the materials away and having to accept this reality was a struggle for me.

Don’t fear. All materials were not lost. I was able to save a car load worth of materials from the landfill while I was there. My Grandma Lucy was able to hide newspapers and aluminum cans in the basement (so they didn’t get thrown out with the garbage) since my last visit, and I took those to a drop-off center in Asheville along with five, large, heavy bags of mixed paper. I was also able to take a bag of my old stuffed animals and clothes to GoodWill for reuse.

The most interesting thing I learned while in NC was that the Henderson County landfill was capped late last year, and all the garbage from the county now has to be hauled to a landfill in South Carolina. The SC landfill is almost full, though, so it is likely that the Henderson Co. waste will need to be hauled to Georgia by the end of this year. The county is ripe for recycling, which would save not only the materials for reuse, but also the cost of hauling materials that aren’t really waste across two state lines to waste them.

Why has wasting become so common place in America? Even when faced with disposal costs that may double, why isn’t this county laying the foundation and infrastructure for recycling? Why wasn’t recycling put in place years and years ago? How have we come so far with technology, but we can’t recapture resources more effectively in our homes and communities?

I am continually amazed and disturbed at our lack of progress in material management in the U.S. I fear by the time we learn the valuable lesson of saving materials for recycling, or avoiding single-use materials all together, and build the infrastructure necessary to collect, process and reuse materials throughout the U.S., it may be too late to do much good. We are doing an overwhelming amount of damage in the interim.

Please join me in celebrating the new Waste Wise Launch at the SF Ferry Plaza Farmers Market this Saturday, April 26.

I have worked with CUESA (the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture), the nonprofit that operates the market, for the last four months in developing their new waste wise initiative, which was unveiled on Earth Day this week. The celebrations will continue this Saturday and include a reusable bag give away, a reusable bag parade, a screening of The Story of Stuff and a slide show of recycled art produced by the Norcal Artist in Residence program, a great educational display describing what happens when food scraps get composted versus landfilled along with great tips for shoppers to reduce waste both at the market and at home.

The best part, though, are the new Waste Wise Stations, which include a three bin system to collect composting and recycling at the market, with clear signage to indicate what materials go where. Up until Tuesday, all the materials discarded at the market went straight to the landfill. With the ability to collect compost and recycling instead, the market will be able to divert approximately 78 tons from the landfill per year, over 90% of what gets discarded at the market.

During the initial launch on Earth Day, I felt as though I was in heaven. My day started with the training of the Waste Wise volunteers, which is one of my favorite things to do, and continued with questions and answers about recycling and composting throughout the day. It is incredibly fulfilling to share my passion for recycling and composting with others. Plus, I got to dress up in a boa made from reclaimed plastic bags, and parade through the market singing Happy Earth Day (like happy birthday day)! I even got my picture in the SF Examiner, along with Jessica McCracken from the Trash Mash-Up group, who supplied the plastic boas for the parade participants. Thanks, Jessie!

It has been a true pleasure working with the CUESA team in developing the educational materials, signage and the elements for the launch. They were the first client I have worked with that was not only interested in marketing themselves as green, but were truly interested and willing to walk the talk too, going well above and beyond to do so. Their focus on the educational component of the waste wise initiative makes all the difference. Thank you, CUESA, for being a shining star and example of what one, dedicated organization can do in the area of waste prevention and reduction.

Although my work with them is almost done, I will forever be a frequent shopper at theirs and other local farmers’ markets. My last task will be to compile the steps that were taken on the path to becoming a waste wise farmers’ market, so they can share their experiences, the challenges and the successes, so that other farmers’ markets can follow in their steps. For more information, please visit the CUESA Waste Wise website at http://www.cuesa.org/events/waste_wise/index.php.

Although I have not posted a blog in a long time, I have still been busy gathering useful information and articles, and finally had a moment to add these to the website. Please check the Links and Resources page for almost 20 new links to articles ranging from chocolate biofuels and low toxin sex toys to the state of the recycling industry and how our changing environment is taking its toll on those who pay attention.  Enjoy!