Re: [GreenYes] The compostability of disposable dinner ware

[Powell Foster <powellf@no.address>]

Thanks for the info.  St Pete is extremely "light" as a recycler.  They
accept only newspapers, no window containing envelopes.  Only #1 and 2
bottles with necks.  Aluminum is collected by someone else who has only a
few disposable points (no we don't have curbside).  Steel cans go into an
incinerator and then are collected with much lower value than if they
were sold as cans.  Cardboard is collected only from commercial firms who
will rent their bins.  We are trying to change all this.  Adjacent
Clearwater collects just about everything curbside, and if we can get the
city to do so, they will market for us and give us 50% of the return
after a certain minimum.  But St Pete claims it is a major tonnage
recycler by including yard waste in their figures, which pales other
things by comparison.  We have only one council member on our side, so
wish us luck.  But I am intrigued at the suggestion of teaching the
children in schools and churches to do backyard worm farming with
cafeteria and paper waste (unwaxed plates).  Got an excellent report on
this from California.  We have had experience with this at Steele Creek
Nature Center in Bristol TN, and does it ever produce a great fertilizer!

Powell

On Thu, 02 Jan 2003 14:16:29 -0500 "Blair Pollock"
<bpollock@no.address> writes:
> This is not exactly on the point Powell raised, but I noticed in some 
> of the other replies that there was a call for use of 'uncoated' 
> plates to make them more compostable.
> Our composter, Brooks Contractor, who takes commercial food from our 
> area waste tells us that any type of paper plate is acceptable and 
> the coating, if it's a film, comes off in the decomp process or gets 
> absorbed if it's waxed (i.e. they also accept waxed OCC in their 
> process) They windrow, grind, screen, etc. nothing fancy. Their 
> compost is Class A in NC, unrestricted and they sell about 5,000 
> tpm.
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Blair Pollock
> Solid Waste Programs Manager
> (919) 968-2788
> fax: (919) 932-2900
> PO Box 17177
> Chapel Hill, NC 27516-7177
> 
> 
On Thu, 02 Jan 2003 14:16:29 -0500 "Blair Pollock"
<bpollock@no.address> writes:
> This is not exactly on the point Powell raised, but I noticed in some 
> of the other replies that there was a call for use of 'uncoated' 
> plates to make them more compostable.
> Our composter, Brooks Contractor, who takes commercial food from our 
> area waste tells us that any type of paper plate is acceptable and 
> the coating, if it's a film, comes off in the decomp process or gets 
> absorbed if it's waxed (i.e. they also accept waxed OCC in their 
> process) They windrow, grind, screen, etc. nothing fancy. Their 
> compost is Class A in NC, unrestricted and they sell about 5,000 
> tpm.
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Blair Pollock
> Solid Waste Programs Manager
> (919) 968-2788
> fax: (919) 932-2900
> PO Box 17177
> Chapel Hill, NC 27516-7177
> 
> 
On Thu, 02 Jan 2003 14:16:29 -0500 "Blair Pollock"
<bpollock@no.address> writes:
> This is not exactly on the point Powell raised, but I noticed in some 
> of the other replies that there was a call for use of 'uncoated' 
> plates to make them more compostable.
> Our composter, Brooks Contractor, who takes commercial food from our 
> area waste tells us that any type of paper plate is acceptable and 
> the coating, if it's a film, comes off in the decomp process or gets 
> absorbed if it's waxed (i.e. they also accept waxed OCC in their 
> process) They windrow, grind, screen, etc. nothing fancy. Their 
> compost is Class A in NC, unrestricted and they sell about 5,000 
> tpm.
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Blair Pollock
> Solid Waste Programs Manager
> (919) 968-2788
> fax: (919) 932-2900
> PO Box 17177
> Chapel Hill, NC 27516-7177
> 
> 
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