Visiting friends/family who don't compost

[mrsgreenthumbs]

I had like most people a long weekend this last memorial day weekend and took advantage of the opportunity to run to Bakersfield and visit my grandma. Now Grandma is old school in the sense that if her garden has bugs she buy's poison if her plant's need food she goes and buy's miracle grow ect. She is by no means a natural gardener. And she is not a food producing gardener either. (thank god lol) So when I was making breakfast/lunch/dinner (because I love to cook for people) I did as I do at home, I began a bowl of cutting's and tidbit's from what I was preparing for the compost bin. when I was done with dinner I grabbed the bowl and realized... there is no compost bin here.... I was at a loss as to where to put those scraps! It was crazy to me to toss out perfectly good stuff, that was like tossing out money and food to me. Of course I ended up doing just that... (should have kept it to take home). Any one else experience this? How weird is it to you? Am I the only one?

[farmerlon]

Yes, I find that frugality, including composting, becomes a lifestyle ... it bothers me to see compostable materials going to waste.

I know you didn't use that exact term, "frugal"... but that's the way I look at it.

[rainbowgardener]

You are not the only one! I can't stand to throw out good compostable stuff any more. I do bring it home with me from people's houses. They may look at you a little funny, but usually if you ask nice "you don't mind if I take the scraps home for my compost pile, do you?" they are fine with it.

Only time I don't is when I'm on trips. I'm not yet around the bend enough that I'm going to bring day old food scraps home with me on an airplane! Going out to visit my son in Oakland CA in July, so I know this is going to come up...

[gixxerific]

I have been in the same situation and I normally sneak out and hide the goodies under some mulch somewhere.

They will thank me later.

[VeggieGrower]

I have that problem at Dad's all the time, and he has a compost pile! I watch him make dinner and just throw out all the scraps. No amount of teasing has made him change though, he says it's just too much work to carry them outside.

On a similar note though, last time I visited my grandparents in IL we took a leg of lamb with us to make for dinner one night during our stay and brought the bones back home to make soup.

[cynthia_h]

Going out to visit my son in Oakland CA in July, so I know this is going to come up...

That's not a problem. Leave it in a large plastic bag on his porch and let me know where it is; I can get to north Oakland in about 15 minutes, Montclair in 20 or so, Rockridge in 20 or so. Approx. where in Oakland does he live? (district, neighborhood?)

Cynthia

[rainbowgardener]

Approx. where in Oakland does he live? (district, neighborhood?)

Cynthia

Oddly enough, I don't know right now, because he is just in the process of moving... somewhere right near the lake?

[rainbowgardener]

I have that problem at Dad's all the time, and he has a compost pile! I watch him make dinner and just throw out all the scraps. No amount of teasing has made him change though, he says it's just too much work to carry them outside.
.

Give your dad something like this for his birthday or Christmas or something:

[url=https://www.greenfeet.com/itemdesc.asp?kw=Kitchen-Compost-Crock-White&ic=9008-00342-0000&utm_source=google-base&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=9008-00342-0000&utm_term=Kitchen-Compost-Croc]compost crock[/url]

they make them in all different styles, colors, materials. Something nice looking he can keep on a kitchen counter/table etc and put the scraps in, only empty it every once in awhile. You can do the same thing with old kitty litter buckets etc, but having one that was fancy and a gift might make it more motivating.

[kimbledawn]

I thought it was only me I have such a hard time throwing them in the trash and I hate it when there is no recycling bin!!

[applestar]

My kids too!

"Mama, what should I do with the banana peel (plastic bottle)?" "Oh, we'll just (wrap it up in a napkin and) take it home with us."

"Excuse me. Where's your paper/plastic/glass recycle bin? Where do you keep your compost?"

First time it ever happened, they came back to me round-eyed: "Mama! They said they don't compost here. They told me to put it in the garbage! (near panic) What should I do?!"

[stephenabney]

ha, that reminds me of a time when I was visiting in-laws. My wife and in-laws gave me funny looks as I made room in the trunk for several large bags of grass my grandpa-in-law wasn't needing. It was cramped in the car on that 4 hour ride home, with the luggage moved to the back seat, but I needed those grass clippings!

[SallyJane]

Hehe!

Its not just you... The horrible part is, I don't even have one at home!!! It kills me every time I have to throw away any vegie scraps or anything, it is literally painfull. I just moved in to this new place with a tiny little back garden with no area for compost bins/gardens or anything. I'm thinking I'm going to fit one in somewhere, but I will have to ask permission of the real estate (I have to ask permission for everything)

Anyway I feel totally stressed about throwing away all this beautiful material all the time, I'm going to have to sort something out soon before I start going grey. I cant wait until I can afford to buy a place and do with I what I wish.

[rainbowgardener]

Sally Jane -- read the threads about vermicomposting and get yourself a worm bin! You can turn all those good kitchen scraps into wonderful worm castings. The worm bin can stay in your kitchen or garage or wherever and takes up very little room.

[SallyJane]

So I have read up on vermicomposting, Rainbow, and I think it is a perfect idea for me! Thank you for your sugestion. Now to get to work on a good design...

Thanks!

[GeorgiaGirl]

I finally got my parents to start a compost pile, thank goodness... I've been known to get a doggie bag at restaurants JUST for compostable leftovers!!

[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