Breaking it down (food waste, that is)

Though we’ve had the most snow this year since my arrival in the Hub, temperatures broke multiple records last month, bringing yet another reminder of the shifting climate around us. Hearing Bostonians recall the snowstorms of years before conflicts a Floridian environmentalist like me. While I recognize how evident climate change is in the city’s now less-than-freezing winter months, I can’t help but be thrilled on days when the cold is less aggressive. Losses like the experiences of weeks-long snow days will surely be more common as we work to reconstruct our relationship as a humanity with our planet’s limited resources.

Now that my fingers and mind are thawing out of survival mode, I’m ready to continue sharing this Eco Mindful journey.

Organic materials like food waste may seem like the least of your concerns when you consider all the packaging and other trash we accumulate, but once it’s buried under the rest of the neighborhood’s waste, it releases methane, a gas about 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide! That’s just one reason that food waste is such a huge issue. We already know that there’s more than enough food to feed our planet’s population, and it’s the dramatically uneven distribution that causes world hunger. Living in a society with a million food options at our disposal can devalue the food we have—think of all the leftovers you’ve likely let go to waste! I’m definitely not immune to the bag of spinach that sadly wilts away in the back of the fridge after I promised myself that this time I would finish it.

The reduce, reuse, recycle hierarchy we’ve discussed in the first three issues can be applied to food waste as well. It’s most important that we are more mindful about what food we’re taking in and whether we’ll really eat it before it goes bad. We can then supplement this approach by prolonging the life and use of some of these food items. But let’s talk about how to recycle nutrients from our food scraps back to the earth: by composting.

Composting break downs organic materials into a nutrient-rich dirt-like substance that replenishes soil. It’s an intricate process that involves a combination of “brown” and “green” waste. If you have a backyard or adequate indoor space and the commitment to learning how to make compost at home, there are tons of bins and processes you can explore to suit your needs. One method, called vermicomposting, involves worm poop! Otherwise, if accessible, you can have a local service collect and compost your waste for you. Check out this list of things you generally can and can’t compost, but remember that it varies between methods and organizations.

For my birthday last May, I joined the crowdfunding campaign for Pela‘s composting innovation, Lomi, and I was ecstatic when it arrived a few weeks ago. Since then I’ve broken countless food scraps into nutrient-rich dirt that can be dumped right outside, at home in a matter of hours.

One criticism I’ve seen of the product so far is its use as an alternative to outdoor composting. This makes sense, but it would be incredibly presumptuous to believe that everyone has access to a nearby composting service or even an open green space to start the process on their own. Along these lines, its use of electricity (inevitably powered by fossil fuels) is also called out—and while it’s not ideal, the Lomi tends to use under 1kWh (less than a dishwasher cycle) on any of its three modes for express, bioplastics, and garden-grade compost.

Another huge context to note: the Lomi does weigh in at $500(!) now that its crowdfunding days are behind it. I would never call this finanically accessible, but I do have faith in Pela to support community composting awareness and maybe even offer later versions of the product at a lower cost.

Overall, I can understand one’s hesitation to turn to new technologies—especially those that still use fossil fuels—to solve age-old problems, but I think the added convenience and new attention from media, citizens, and other climatetech startups that Lomi brings to the composting table is far too valuable to ignore.

Investing in a Lomi for me meant not having half my freezer taken up by a giant bag of food waste until the next time I could trek to a Project Oscar bin; and I was fortunate enough that I was able to join the campaign at an early-bird price as a birthday present. Most importantly, I know I’ll use it all the time (almost every day) to give as much nutrient back to the soil as possible.

See the whole Lomi food-waste-to-compost process in this Reel.

• Visit one of the Boston Project Oscar bins to drop off your food waste for free

• Get to know ways to support these local food justice organizations

• A 2021 guide on food waste in Boston, including government action, donation options, and composting

• The EPA offer more recommendations and tips for Composting at Home

• Make the most out of almost-bad food with these tips

• Brightly also offers a ton of helpful info to make your food last longer, among other eco-friendly swaps

Upcoming events

• Tuesday, March 8: If you’re looking for an internship in climatetech across job departments, Greentown Labs’ Intern Fair is the place to be

• Sunday, March 27: We Thieves is hosting a No Frills All Fun Clothing Swap 👗

• Thursday, March 31: This Indigenous Perspectives on Sustainability and the Arts seminar by BU Arts Initiative looks super interesting and is free and open to the public!

About me

Nia Shalise is an environmentalist content creator (an eco-creative, if you will) passionate about educating and empowering her peers to lead environmentally-mindful lifestyles. Find more content on YouTube, Instagram, and niashalise.com. If you enjoy my free content, you can donate the cost of a chai latte here.

Have questions or a topic you’d like me to cover? Email me at [email protected] or DM me on Instagram!

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