[billg]

Last night, I had one of those WTF experiences. I had just come home from walking the dog and I was passing by the composting bin I set up for the tenants of the apartment building that I'm temporarily residing in. The composting bin is made out of steel wire mesh so all its contents are exposed to the elements.

I was absolutely dumbfounded when I noticed that somebody had dumped about 10 blue plastic bags full of food scraps into the bin. My first reaction was...are you fucking kiddin' me...who the fuck did this...I bet that airhead on the 3rd floor did it. I actually started to curse out loud which is quite rare for me.

I was so disgusted by the sight that I opened up the bin and started to pick out the plastic even though it was quite dark. After regaining my cool, I decided it would be better to write a kind note to my neighbors and ask them to pick the plastic out themselves.

The note never was completed because I heard footsteps on the 3rd floor and decided it would be better to have a face to face. Upon talking to my neighbor (a 20 something female college student), I could see that she was quite amused at my dismay. She goes on to tell me that she has just bought these Biobags at Whole Foods which advertise themselves as being 100% biodegradeable and 100% compostable. In fact, the box in which the bags are sold even has a picture of somebody dropping their plastic bags full of food scraps into a plastic composting bin.

My neighbor and I left the conversation on good terms. But I admit I'm still quite rattled by the sight of plastic-looking kitchen bags in the compost pile. In this a step in the right direction? Is eco-capitalism really going to save us? I'm doubtful.

[jboogy]

You have to applaud the effort, I would think most people won't even bother seperating out their scraps from the non-biodegradables unless it was somehow enforcable. We went from re-cycling all glass, plastic, and paper in Pa. and fl. to no recycling in GA. We still return our plastic bags to Walmart and use paper for kitty-litter and kindling(and of course I scrap my cans), but glass and plastic containers go to the landfill now.

[Plantagenet]

I think you missed a chance to hit on the 20-something biobabe with the biobags.

[Ferretlover]

Perhaps the OP should have also been posted in the "You know you're a doomer when"
-the sight of a plastic bag sends you into a frenzy! *giggle*

At least the young woman should get a reprieve from a dressing down because she was concious enough to use the biobags...

[caliginousface]

I think the real question is did you "tap dat shiz" as us youngins apparently say.