Blue bag revenue?

[Susan Horn]

Yeah, composting can be as low- or high-maintenance as you want. Some folks have even figured out a way to take the heat generated from a hot compost and use it to heat water. I think there are all kinds of other technologies already available to use that heat energy instead of wasting it.

 

[North Lake]

We were in T'hassee the weekend before Earth Day and saw fliers that some county or city agency was having an Earth Day truck sale of backyard composters, selling them at cost -- nice compost bins for like $30, that usually sell for $100 or more. To encourage folks to compost organic wastes and return them to the earth rather than landfilling. I was so wishing we had that sort of program here.

While we're on the subject of recycling and budgets--seems to me it's a no brainer the county could turn collection of yard/landscape/food waste into a money-making operation, or at least a money-saving one. Hot composting on a county or district scale. This is being done in localities all over the country; sometimes they farm it out to a private firm, who sell the compost at a nice profit. But no matter how it's done, it keeps organic waste out of the landfill (saves money) and perhaps more importantly, converts valuable nutrients into a useful soil amendment that is way better for us and the soil and critters than chemicals.

I have brought these kinds of things up a number of times at Planning Commission meetings and I usually get laughed at or told that now is not the time to deal with this, the time for this will be later. Perhaps if enough people got involved, contacted commissioners, etc., the sense of time would come into a little sharper focus. It gets a bit lonely and discouraging being the only voice speaking out for this kind of thing in the public meetings.

Susan,

Have you talked this up with Kendra Zamojski out at Extension Services? She's been working hard on getting ACT Walton started up to promote locally grown produce, farmer's markets, and the like. It seems to be gaining traction in a small way, but that's a start. This would fall right in line with that movement, plus could probably bring in the Master Gardener program folks who would have an avid interest in mulches and soil enrichments...plus all the science-based stuff that Extension has going that could be brought to bear on making it work.

I learned this morning that the Extension Office has just negotiated an office space in the new District 5 office over at Grayton with Commissioner Jones - the old Regional Utilities office - to extend their reach down here, particularly in these sort of areas. Up there it's trees and row crops, but down here it's more the small gardens, landscaping, and the like. It'll be part-time at first, but beats driving to DeFuniak to talk with them when you need to.

You can reach Kendra at 892-8172. Or you can see them on-line at http://fl-waltoncounty.civicplus.com/index.aspx?NID=125. They're a great resource for lots of things if you haven't tapped into it already.

Thanks!

Ken

 

[Susan Horn]

Ken,

Thank you. Yes, I have met and corresponded with Kendra and attend as many ACT meetings as I can. Very pleased with and supportive of her efforts, and doing all I can to connect her with more and more folks so what she's doing will grow and succeed. Also working with TDC planning this year's environmental forum about community gardens, which has a goal of actually creating one or more community gardens after the forum (in November).

Thrilled to know we'll have an extension office down here. I know a LOT of people who want to grow food in their back yard but have no experience, no know-how -- and with this "soil" and extremely fierce microclimate, a new gardener needs all the help they can get. Experienced ones too, for that matter!

I think the Master Gardener program is run by the extension service...

One thing that seems to slow progress is that there are so many different gov't agencies, and not often a coherent uniting mission to them all. Plus the tendency for empire building and turf protection rather than getting something done that is inherent in bureaucracies as far as I can tell. Maybe these leaner times will trim some fat and boost efficiencies, reduce excessive redundancies and spur the overcoming of various agencies working towards opposing or noncompatible efforts. It would be so grand if the school district would get more friendly with the county gov't instead of hoarding their turf.

Still, I remain hopeful that we can make progress towards becoming a healthier and more self sustaining community, especially when I read about places like Curitiba (in Brazil).

 

[GoodWitch58]

One thing that seems to slow progress is that there are so many different gov't agencies, and not often a coherent uniting mission to them all. Plus the tendency for empire building and turf protection rather than getting something done that is inherent in bureaucracies as far as I can tell. Maybe these leaner times will trim some fat and boost efficiencies, reduce excessive redundancies and spur the overcoming of various agencies working towards opposing or noncompatible efforts. It would be so grand if the school district would get more friendly with the county gov't instead of hoarding their turf.

Still, I remain hopeful that we can make progress towards becoming a healthier and more self sustaining community, especially when I read about places like Curitiba (in Brazil).

I agree Susan There is a real lack in the communication area I think. Both among the different agencies, different commissioners, and certainly with the public.

It seems as though our government conforms to "the letter of the law"...they have the meetings, notice them IAW the legal demands, and give people time to comment (most of the time), but the "spirit of the law" sometimes feels neglected...there is not much in the way of a pro-active effort made to include everyone.

Part of it is that we do not have a very large media force; Sowal has made a real difference I think; and maybe it (the County process/attitdude) will improve eventually. There are so many things that could be done differently:

I listened to the information about Port St Joe getting the Bio-Mass Company, and again, had to wonder, why doesn't Walton County get some of this new business? There is land available--at good prices now--there is a port at Freeport; we have a railroad; and three airports; soon to be a bigger one--we are within easy distance of military installations that need all kinds of clean industry to support their mission; yet, Walton County has none.

It is a perplexing situation IMO.

 

[30ashopper]

I really would like to get to the bottom of this. Leon County has a great program. 30Ashopper, the trash and recycling bins (one for paper, one for plastic, and one for glass) are put streetside on the same day. The Waste Management truck is divided -- the trash goes into one bin; the recycled materials in another.

There is nothing left out on the street; there is no more smell than usual with trash.

In my neighborhood here in South Walton we have rules that say our trash cans can not be left out more than a few hours before and after pickup. I know several neighborhoods have that--surely Sandestin does.Recycled materials are clean--people rinse out the glass and plastic...

I lived in Tallahassee for 18 years from 1980-1998 and we had the program the entire time.

We did pay for our trash pick up as a direct charge on our utility bills, as opposed to the tax payment we have in Walton Couty, but IMO that was a small price to pay to help keep the community free of litter and to contribute to the well being of the environment at the same time.

I guess I just don't understand why it is such an issue here in Walton and apparently Okaloosa County.

When I have some time, I am going to see about getting more involved as North Lake susggested earlier, but I wish someone would tell me why these two counties are so different from so many other places that it makes it almost impossible to conserve energy and recycle waste. It seems there are plenty of communities throughout the country that are doing a good job with little effort and not too much expense, why are Walton and Okaloosa county so different?

Curb side pickup has problems of its own. We have a lot of gated communities, which would prevent curb side from taking place. In SD for example, local and SOA HOA have rules in place to prevent the use of trash cans, so getting broad adoption across the county isn?t likely. Plus, in most gated communities, trash pickup is handled internally. Here in SD, maintenance picks up curb side trash every morning, transfers that to a compactor, which is then hauled to the dump. So separation would have to happen all the way down at the community level. The cost incurred isn?t just to WM, it?s to the communities as well.

It wouldn?t be too hard to ask people to presort for blue bag in communities like SD. These communities could then work out how to presort blue from normal trash bags with little effort before compaction. Neighborhood presorting could indeed be done by WM, however, if adoption isn?t wide spread, you?d have WM trucks driving around half empty. WM isn?t going to go for that. Maybe if you limited it to just once every two weeks or something? Not sure. Also limiting what goes in blue bags seems to make good sense. Elliminating anything that can cause contamination (like glass) might help.

I think in general though presorting is a good first step. Personally I already do this. Why we implemented a system where glass, aluminum, and dry paper all end up in the same containers is confusing.