Visiting friends/family who don't compost

[Joyfirst]

I even pack up my apple cores from outings to bring back home to my compost buckets. I just don't want to treat the earth as a giant trash can. We make enough noncompostable trash as it is already.

[mrsgreenthumbs]

Oh joy fish, not but a day or two ago the Dh and I were out at the local drive in enjoying sharing a cherry coke and a bucket of popcorn when I got a cramp in my leg, of course here on the central coast it's also cold at night so my DH grabs my coat put's it around my shoulders and as we begin walking the cramps away I stick my hand in the pocket of my coat and what do I find? A napkin wrapped around something.... oh yes it was my apple core I had saved for the compost pile after dinner at panera bread! lol My DH knew exactly what it was as soon as I pulled it out and why it was in my pocket so he just started roaring with laughter, I looked at him and asked "what's so funny?!" and he says "do you even remember when the last time was that we were AT Panera Bread?" guess it had been a while... gross. Now I'm trying to make it a habit to keep a box of old pre-used/ washed ziplock baggies. I hate tossing those thing's out and it's going to make for much less surprising finds

[parker34]

Started composting last fall and haven't stopped since. I have a couple of gals at work who give me some stuff from their lunches everyonce in a while, I know they still throw some stuff away though... I try to throw them a hint to give me their peels/cores etc once a week or so..

I might have to start bringing larger tupperware tubs to family gaterings/holidays to collect the bounty going forward..

Love it!

[Diggz]

I always want to take compostables home with me from work( I'm a chef) and when I go out to eat but I cant bring my self to create more trash by getting a styrofoam or plastic container. So if I do have food to take home to eat I'll put the food on one side compost on other. It just drives me mad that most restraunts throw out tons of compostables everyday from cutting scraps to whole bowls of uneaten salad.

[mrsgreenthumbs]

Diggz... you just gave me a FANTASTIC idea! I don't know about any one else but from time to time my compost has a tendency to get a bit one sided and on the dry side. This I attribute to not having enough scraps like tomato's ect. that have high moisture content. I have lot's of grass clipping's but not enough scraps... what if I asked a local restaurant if I could have their toss out's. All they would have to do is set a bucket outside for me with what they don't want at the end of the day. What do you guy's think?

[SkyKero]

I think that is a great idea.

.. as for me .. I did that at my local gas station -- gave them a bucket -- and would go by every couple of days -- but then, I was sick for a week -- by the time I came back they had thrown out the bucket coffee grounds and all -- I cannot blame them...
.. what I am getting to -- is .. you will have to be religious about getting the scraps ... I am not sure I have it in me.

I keep saying I will go by the farmer's market and ask to get some of the gone bad food -- but I haven't done that yet... maybe I will do it now .

Good luck -- remember you can always add water to your compost if it is too dry.

[smokensqueal]

I try and keep a ice cream bucket here at work next to the coffee maker. People are really good at putting in their scraps along with the coffee grounds. But no matter what I do if I have to work late one night and I don't make it to the kitchenett to pick it up the cleaning crew throw it away. I even put a sign on it saying that if the bucket is here I'm still here please don't throw away. And sure enough it's gone when I go pick it up. I've gone through about 5 buckets that way. I guess I'll have to put a lock and chain on it next time.

[SkyKero]

... what I don't understand is ... why the throw the bucket away! .. Why not empty it and leave the bucket .. that happened to me too -- and I have to admit -- I have given up trying to get the coffee grounds from work

[cynthia_h]

I try and keep a ice cream bucket here at work next to the coffee maker. People are really good at putting in their scraps along with the coffee grounds. But no matter what I do if I have to work late one night and I don't make it to the kitchenett to pick it up the cleaning crew throw it away. I even put a sign on it ... I guess I'll have to put a lock and chain on it next time.

It's possible that the cleaning crew doesn't read English. Many cleaning crews in California speak (and, presumably, read--but maybe not?) Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and so on.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9