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Temple Beth El Blog

Individual Actions Make a Big Difference for the Environment

08/03/2021 12:25:51 PM

Aug3

by Marta Karlov, Environment and Climate Change Action Team chair

 

To speak with TBE member Liz Whitesel about reducing greenhouse gases produced by food waste is to become infected with her enthusiasm. After one hour of interviewing her for this article, I felt compelled to follow her example. The Karlov household now hosts a bin from Curbside Composter—our scraps from cooking prep will go to a farm that will turn them into compost to improve the soil. Easy!

Liz’s journey started when she and her husband built a garden in their backyard in the 1980s. Together they collected scraps and used a composting bin provided by the city to make compost throughout the year. This of course takes patience and dedication—for every successful backyard composting effort there are many more stories involving critters, solid garbage that defies the obligatory turning and mixing, and giant piles of waste that never convert into the coveted dark, odor-free material that amends your soil with wonderful nutrients. 

For Liz and Russ Whitesel, composting was associated with their vegetable garden. Once they stopped gardening, they also ended their home composting. Then in 2011 the City of Madison made it easier for people to divert waste from the landfill. The city first tested curbside collection in various configurations and neighborhoods and in 2020 instituted a seasonal drop-off program. Liz took advantage of these options, but they became too cumbersome. The city eventually stopped them all. The latest version ended on July 17 of this year. 

Finally, through her daughter, Liz learned about home pickup programs and has been very satisfied with her choice in Madison, Curbside Composter. It is simple and effortless, and it costs $1 a day.

I asked Liz why she felt so strongly about keeping her food scraps out of the landfill, and she explained that she is just trying to be mindful of her footprint—doing a few things that will make a difference and spreading the word so others follow her example. Already one neighbor has agreed to join, and she is spreading the word to all who might be interested. 

And she is right: studies put food waste at 6% to 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In a landfill, food decomposition results in methane gas, which is about 30 times stronger than carbon dioxide as a heat-trapping gas. According to Madison’s Sustainability Program, about 20% of what we send to Dane County landfill is food waste https://www.wortfm.org/the-prospect-of-an-anaerobic-digester/. 

Liz says her bucket from Curbside Composter is almost two-thirds full every week. And that is only for one person. My guess is that mine will be completely full since we eat a lot of vegetables! 

According to Liz, “We all kind of delude ourselves into saying we cannot make a difference, it is too big of a problem, and that’s why I am a dreamer. I feel like if I do this, maybe other people would do it too.” 

Liz is also trying carbon offsets for travel (which she also learned about from her daughter), and a few other easy things like carrying metal straws in her purse, bringing mesh bags for produce to the grocery store, and using bamboo paper products (bamboo grows fast and uses less space and no fertilizers or pesticides). If you run into her, I am sure she will be happy to tell you all about it. And you might find yourself changing some habits or starting something new! 

Visit Curbside Composter or Earth Stew to learn more about food scrap home pickup programs in the area. The City of Madison and Dane County also offer many resources for food waste reduction
and composting.

April 18, 2024 10 Nisan 5784