My apartment building does not compost, nor does the super show interest in being involved with the practice. So now, I have to use a bin in my kitchen and dump it in a green bin at a friend’s house once a week. Another friend’s building composts, but doesn’t recycle. What’s up with that? I thought Halifax was supposed to be ahead of the game. There are so many people living in apartment buildings that have food scraps and products to recycle. It’s like having 18 households in one building! Building owners/supers/landlords should me held accountable for adding to the landfills and for bumming out us green thumbs!
This article appears in Jul 10-16, 2008.
Unfortunately, even if your apartment has composting/recycling, the compliance rates are usually so low (something like 15-25%), it hardly seems worth it. But then again, every bit counts I guess. It’s too easy to be anonymous and toss whatever you want down the garbage chute, especially organics that stink up the place if you don’t run them down to the basement everyday. I know it’s just being lazy, but you have to make recycling and composting super convenient for people. Newer buildings should install 3 chutes for garbage, recycling and compost respectively.
Check out the following link: http://www.halifax.ca/wrms/ici.htmlThe owner of the property is legally obligated to provide separate containers for green waste, recyclables, etc. When I moved into my apartment a couple of years ago, I phoned Waste Collection (490-4900) out of the yellow pages looking for a community waste bin since my apartment building had no facilities. They asked why I had called and when I told them my reason they mentioned that the owner was legally obligated to provide such services. A few days later, SURPRISE!, there was a recycling bin and green waste bin outside my building.
Katz.. I’m actually surprised to read your reply because i did the same thing and nothing happened. In fact the city told me that this is none of their business and I had to speak to the owner of the property and they will not deliver anything until the owner requests it. So goes to show that not everyone is on the same page (or wants to work) at HRM.
Post a copy of the law by the garbege and leave a pile of compostables by the garbege. After cleaning that up one of two things will happen:1.) He will install a compost bin2.) He will install a camera.
Also, after a while the compost pile that builds up and come to life, like on that Fraggle Rock show!
I dunno..I’ve lived in a few apartments around the city, often with ‘separate’ bins for garbage and recycling (most oftne like my bin now- it’s a dumpster like structure, with two lids- one for recycables and one for garbage. but there is no internal division so everything ends up mixed). Most of these ‘separate’ bins end up dumped into the same truck, like most of those three-compartment trash cans on the street. For now, I compost what I can, and separate my other trash into two piles- one for the garbage man, and one for that guy collecting recycables to turn into cash. no regulations, and no help fromt he city or the landlord, but this way at least some good is coming out of it.