{compost: it's the law!}

It's International Composting Awareness Week - which I think ties in quite nicely after National Permaculture Day on Sunday, both going hand-in- hand with each other.

Hopefully with a little shameless self-promotion people will be encouraged to partake in both.
Or is it more a case of being heavy handed rather than the softly-softly approach? Did you know in San Francisco it is law to compost your waste? Since October 2009 San Fran residences and businesses have been required to separate their rubbish: blue for recycling, black for trash AND green for compost! It's all part of an ambitious goal to reduce waste and have the city sending nothing to landfills or incinerators by 2020. And don't think they're not serious either, fines range from $100 to $1,000 depending on warnings! For some this is the incentive they need to consider this not a 'hippy' or 'greenie' habit, but an everyday one which we all need to adopt. Read media coverage here

Each week on 'bin-night' I'm quietly proud of our little bin (odd thing to be proud of I know!). The reason being though, ours is generally the only one with its lid properly closed while others are brimming with bags and their lids ajar. We are quite strict with what goes into our rubbish bin - all plastic, glass, paper and cardboard are separately recycled, and all food waste (except meat and dairy) is composted in our two Aero Bins. It's not difficult and when you consider that it is estimated that almost half of all municipal waste is comprised of organic material, the decomposition of which is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions from landfill, it should be compulsory!

No space excuses either - a snazzy apartment composter here

Pretty compost here

Arty-farty compost bins here