Abbey on the Road: Throw-Away Thursday

I had been warned that there were "a few hippies" in Seattle, but no one told the truth about the PASSION people have about reducing the amount of Landfills by adding a THIRD element to disposing goods, known as COMPOSTING.

My first night here I had a "late plate" waiting for me in the fridge to be heated up and consumed. Not knowing about the ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY atmosphere I was now submerged (SAT word) in, I grabbed myself a plastic fork AND knife to use, which were QUICKLY intercepted by a chapter member who handed me a real (by real I mean metal) fork and knife... little did I know that we don't waste paper and plastic products up here in the Northwest. We reduce. We reuse and WE COMPOST.

As I have taken two walks around campus I noticed the trash cans (below) have two additional added on "waste baskets", one for compost and another for recycling. I was taught how to recycle growing up, but composting...I learned about it in fourth grade science, but actually practicing how is NEWS TO ME (is that the saying?)!

Today I will educate you about the QUICK lesson I have learned about trashing my scraps here at the University of Washington.

Located by all of the trash/recycle/compost bins in the Zeta House there are signs that WARN you about where your trash is going. I ~~was~~ am so nervous that I will mess up the compost that I don't throw ANYTHING away without permission.

Trash... is going to a landfill.