Say good-bye to this familiar sight…
Over on The Decatur Minute, Cheryl announces the installation of two new solar-powered trash compactors in front of both Starbucks and Java Monkey. (No love for Dancing Goats?)
Also, and this will make Altmod happy, the city is installing “new and more visible recycling bins.” Click over to the Minute for a couple pics.
Larkspur
Sharron
Daydreamer
J_T
Rick Julian
smalltowngal
The Walrus
Kimberly Rhodes
Sharron
DEM
The Walrus
AMB
Curious
At Home in Decatur
Mic
I’m curious if the takeaway coffee businesses kicked in for part of the cost of this compactor.
The photo indicates what is causing the need for extra compaction.
I don’t know about you but the less I’m reminded how much trash I produce, the quicker I can forget about it and order another Venti mocha frappy!
I can’t wait to walk by and smell the freshly-squeezed scent of dog poo!
Aren’t those cups and sleeves recycleable? Looks like that is part of the problem.
Just for clarification…the pic isn’t of a garbage can in Decatur. I lifted it from the depths of the internet.
Yippee!
@MC–it can get confusing–some of Dancing Goats’ products are compostable and thus go into the garbage but other things like the plastics and cardboard in the photo above are definitely recycleable. It would be nice if the businesses in Decatur reminded their customers what goes where and provided places to recycle. I certainly try to do the right thing but it is often unclear from place to place how to do it.
VERY excited about the new recycling containers and solar-powered compactors!
The PLA-based serveware used at DG and other places is designed to be compostable, but the items do not degrade any differently in a standard landfill. No one wants them in compost they’ll actually be using, since the items are made with genetically-modified corn. Basically, it’s a bad concept all around, and businesses pay more for the privilege of having something “green” that’s quite the opposite. Please encourage businesses using these containers to instead offer ones that are actually recyclable (and to offer recycling, of course).
While I’m at it, does anyone know the Chick-fil-A folks? Their plastic fruit cup containers, for example, are recycleable but of course customers throw them into the garbage because there is no place to recycle there. The management there seems community-focused. I wonder if they could be asked to set up recycling (with a reminder of which of their product containers are recycleable). Is there no way to for the city to work with businesses to recycle? Do businesses get the same kind of recycling “pick up” that we get? What are the obstacles? There must be some that I am unaware of. If you know the Chick-fil-A folks, consider asking?
The City’s recycling contractor is more than willing to set up recycling with any business at a very reasonable cost. They have done it for some of the condo complexes.
Yes, the styrofoam cups at CFA bother me too.
Agnes Scott has contracted with a composting company this year and you would be floored by the things they’ll accept. There is almost no trash in the dining hall anymore.
Wow!
solar-powered trash!
decatur is way ahead of the green curve.
I’d be interested in a discussion about the city trying to go completely “green” and requiring businesses to stop using styrofoam (especially for take out) and going to recycleable containers like Ted’s. Other communities have done it. I worked a bike event at Emory over the weekend for orientation and got to talking with the facilities folks. They are in the process of going completely green in the food hall and trying to compost as much of the waste stream as possible. Bye-bye styrofoam.
They are even getting rid of trays in the cafeteria (already done it at Oxford campus) as their cost savings are dramatic. Students (and faculty) don’t overload their trays and waste food. And if you want more, you just go through the line again. Emory gets paid for their compostable material and they hope (& expect) to cover the cost of the switch through selling trash. They’ve also stopped providing coffee cups in certain places as they found out that the cost of the cups was close to half the cost of providing the coffee.
What a smart ideas–getting rid of trays in cafeterias with meal plans so students don’t overload and waste food. It also cuts down on eating just because the food is in front of you, instead of based on hunger cues. Many a child has gained unwanted weight in college because of increased eating and decreased physical activity. When the cafeteria becomes one of the important social events of the day, it’s easy to absentmindedly overeat as one sits and chats.
Fred, what would be a businesses argument to keep the Styrofoam option? Is it pure cost? And without sounding to ignorant, isn’t number “6″ Styroform recyclable in Decatur?
I’m with you on applauding Emory’s efforts, Fred, but have a question on where you take it from there. What Emory is doing was self-initiated and voluntary because they were wise enough to see the financial value, the marketing value and the environmental value of changing their methods.
Imposing regulations of Decatur businesses seems like it would be the opposite of this; top down regulation rather than bottom-up initiative.
I’m all for better, more enviro-friendly practices in Decatur but can’t we inspire businesses to pursue them by helping them remove obstacles rather than by heaping more rules on them? Like, perhaps the Environmental Sustainability Board could orchestrate workshops or whatnot to provide resources for our businesses to get over the obstacles. Are shops foregoing recycling because they haven’t been able to find a cost-comparable vendor to haul it away conveniently? Are they holding on to styrofoam because they don’t know of a more benign material of similar cost?
It seems we’ve got some great resources to make available. My thought is that, through carrot rather than stick, we could accomplish much more than just ditching styrofoam.
I threw my trash in there this morning. It was a mind scrambler. (Okay, so it felt just like using a regular trash can, but I still think it’s cool.)
I would be very supportive of the City “going completely green,” as Fred asks. Emory University has a very impressive commitment and I would love for Decatur to emulate the University.
Curious, how green is Emory’s non-stop construction? They tore down several buildings that seemed to be more than adequate and functional. I bike through there all the time, and it seems the campus has been under construction for at least 3 straight years. I even bike past the “Bike Emory” signs while trying to avoid the endless construction over there, which often blocks off the bike lanes.
The non-stop construction has been more like 25 years, ever since Mr. Woodruff gave Emory what was at the time the largest single gift to a University in American history. But check this for their commitment. Recent construction is LEED certified as green.
http://www.emory.edu/home/news/releases/2009/08/leed-certified-buildings-construction.html
With Emory and Agnes Scott we have great models in our community. And no wonder we are so smart!
A good point DEM, though it now seems were on opposite sides of the issue we debated over the RainShine House. Another Rick’s LEED reference is apt.
I’d also note that it’s human nature to be inconsistent when trying to be more frugal with things…be it money, energy, etc. It’s like how you drive out of your way to save 2 cents a gallon on gas, or how you’ll jump to save 50 cents on a head of lettuce, but not bat an eye when it goes to waste.
Honestly, I’m a bit unsure what you’re getting at, but I’ll take a shot. Does inconsistent practice invalidate the entire effort?
DM — I am a business owner in Decatur, and the City had us fill out a survey to gauge interest in providing recycling services to all Decatur businesses, not just the current residential service. I haven’t heard anything about it since the survey, which I think I filled out last year.
I encourage you to read up on Agnes Scott’s ongoing commitment to reducing our carbon footprint by looking through the most recent alumnae magazine http://www.agnesscott.edu/news/agnesscottthemagazine.aspx. (spring 09)
We have made great strides toward our goal of being carbon-neutral in the next 30 years. We’ve instituted just the sort of composting you’re discussing in our dining hall, and we went TRAYLESS a year ago!
Thanks MoonCat! I figured that the city would be “on it.” I hope that they follow through (and that businesses were interested!).
I wonder if these are Big Belly solar compactors. I wrote an article about them a few years ago:
http://wasteage.com/mag/waste_crunch_time_2/index.html
I’ve owned a small business since 1972 (started it my Junior year at Emory) and I have a lot of sympathy for what we have to go through with governmental requirements. I spend a lot of time filling out Forms 941, 940, Sales & Use Tax Reports, etc., etc. I spent a lot of time talking to bar/restaurant owners about the financial impact of passing Decatur’s no smoking ordinance a few years back.
So, no, I’m not really in favor of another ordinance requiring a business owner to change his business habits – but – we do seem to be able to get residential recycling to work and work extremely well. We don’t do so good with commercial. If I remember correctly, styrofoam food containers – once they’re used – can’t be recycled unless they are washed first. That’s not going to happen. And I also include the plastic utensils that go along with it. Lots of waste. So, unless the community can convince the business owner that it is in their best interest to change packaging, the community is beholden to their willingness to change on their own. I know styrofoam (for lots of reasons) was cheaper than other materials, but that may be changing. Same for the plastic utensils – Emory (& City Hall) uses cornstarch utensils. Maybe as more places make the change, the purchase volume will go up and costs go down. Perhaps public sentiment can entice owners to change – I know it worked for smoking…
Thanks Fred.
I know business owners read DM. Hi business owners, I eat out so often I feel like our family solely supports the Decatur restaurant environment! I do pay attention to the “greenness” of the restaurants I frequent and while I’ll admit that 5 years ago I wouldn’t have noticed if my to-go containers were not recycleable or if the restaurant was recycling its own materials, I do now and it does make a difference how often I frequent a place. While it is outside the city limits, I love Zyka’s food. I just can’t stand how much styrofoam is used to eat in and take out. The dumpsters are overflowing with bags of styrofoam. It is unappetizing. We rarely go anymore. That is an extreme example but without calling out any City businesses, please note that we do notice, it makes a difference, and I predict it will begin to affect your business. Please find ways to do the right thing? If so, CSD Snowflake will bring you brownies. . . .
Mmm, hmm. I sure will. I save all those unnecessary shoeboxes that come with the shoes my kids outgrow every 4 months and recycle them as brownie holders!
Sympathetic owner/operators of national chain franchises might be restricted in what they can change about their packaging. Headquarters would have to allow exceptions to comply with a popular local ordinance.
In my household, styrofoam cups will nix a restaurant choice on family night out.
Did you get that Chik Fil-A?
I purchased a smoothie from Ben and Jerry’s recently. I noticed the label on the plastic looking container it came in says it was made of that cornstarch stuff, not a petroleum product, and completely recyclable. Hurray for Ben and Jerry.
I thought the groovy factor of the cornstarch cups was that they were compostable / break down in landfills, not that they were recyclable. Anyone know the details?
I guess what I was happy about was it is not a petroleum product. It may have said “compostable”. In my mind compostable would mean recyclable. Compostable in a landfill? Right, does that compost? I may have gotten excited based on nothing more significant than good marketing on their part. The more I think about it the more confused I get. My lesson to myself is that we all should become more educated about the impact of our purchases.
This seems to go back to altmod’s original point about confusion about “compostable” vs. “recyclable” materials.
Another Rick, as I understand it, containers labeled “compostable” should go in the trash, not the recycling.
Landfills, in theory, can be fine. Essentially just giant compost piles. The problem is the toxicity or permanence of certain things that end up there. But if something is going to break down organically, don’t feel guilty about tossing it in a landfill. Discard with pride! (Or, take it home and throw it in your own compost bin…)