by Wonder Worman | Dec 2, 2010 | Less in the Landfill, Red Wiggler World
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This stuff is so good! Just wish the bag was compostable because I think I am going to buy many more bags!
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The silver color is decomposing revealing the blue outside color.
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Not much of a change in temperature from last week.
Just a quick update today! Two posts in one day is tough for me!
Data and Observations:
Pretty cool stuff is happening to the piece of the bag that ripped away from the bigger piece of the bag…see, I can’t write two posts in one day. My brain can’t take it. Everything comes out jumbled. Take a look at the picture. The silver glow on the inside of the piece is fading and the blue outer color is being exposed. Looks like a layer is breaking down.
The temperature in the bin is about the same from last week, 42F. The outside temperature has fluctuated from about 20F-40F.
That’s about it! no big whoooop!
by Wonder Worman | Nov 26, 2010 | Less in the Landfill, Red Wiggler World
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These bins are sturdy and can handle to prancing and pawing of kids’ hooves!
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The temperature in the bin is about 42F. Chilly Willy!
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Can you see the wiggler?
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Thought this was cool!
Yikes, it’s been cold in Bend! Cold enough for it to snow in November. When there’s snow on the worm bins, I like to leave it there. Having the snow on the bins, provides another layer of insulation for the Red Wigglers. I am still conducting the SunChips experiment despite this cold weather. The bag is in it’s 3rd week of composting. Each week, I will update the “Data and Observations” section of the experiment.
Data and Observations: The temperature in Bend was 41F when I went to check on the worms. To my surprise, the temperature inside the worm bin was about the same. I made sure to thoroughly clean the thermometer when I got back inside!
When I pulled away the bedding, I saw one lonely Red Wiggler next to the SunChips bag. He was moving rather slowly, and I am sure he was cold. There wasn’t much of a change from last week. I did pick up the bag to see if it would rip some more, but it didn’t :^(
Even with these frigid temperatures, I will continue to observe the SunChips bag.
Happy Wormin’
Check out this cool trail of ice which formed on our gutter chain. At the moment, it is slowly melting away and the sound it’s producing is rather calming!
by Wonder Worman | Nov 19, 2010 | Less in the Landfill, Out and About
Members of Deschutes Recycling and St.Charles Health Care Center and me! I got to wear a vest, too!!!
Today, I had the coolest opportunity to visit the Deschutes Recycling Compost Facility housed at the Knott Landfill! I loved every single minute of the visit and couldn’t stop the smile from shining the whole, entire time! There’s something so inspiring and motivating to see composting on such a massive level.
This week, I had a meeting with members of St. Charles Health Care Center to talk about their planned community garden and learn more about their pre and post consumer waste which is being collected by Deschutes Recycling. I was fascinated by the composting program and asked if I could tag along on their visit to the composting facility. I had to see it in action. Their set-up is truly amazing.
Brown and Green waste ready to be moved to the next phase of the composting process.
On the composting site, the food waste travels to 4 areas before it is ready to be usable compost for your gardens. (Carlos took amazing video footage and will be edited sometime soon!) This photo shows the compost moving from the 2nd phase to the 3rd phase. This is a mixture of brown and green organic waste. You can see the brown waste on the bottom and the green food waste in the middle and a bit of brown on the top. The drop box also has black tubes inserted to pump in air so aerobic decomposition occurs. This process takes about 30 days and temperatures reach about 130F which kills the pathogens in the compost.
Can you find the white sprout?
Here’s a close up of the compost. They are doing a terrific job keeping it aerated. A sure sign of aerobic decomposition is the smell it gives off while breaking down. This batch has an earthy smell. Good Job Deschutes! This will then move to a windrow to continue decomposing and then move to the screening process to remove any pieces that didn’t compost, such as large pieces of bone.
There are only 2 facilities participating in this food composting program on a commercial level. Soon, Deschutes Recycling will continue to provide this service to many more commercial businesses in Deschutes County. Very cool, very cool indeed!
Happy Wormin’
by Wonder Worman | Nov 18, 2010 | Less in the Landfill, Red Wiggler World
Can you see the bag? Look for the blue spots
Today marks the first week of my SunChips compostable bag experiment. These updates will be brief without any fluff and stuff. My format will be more scientific and less opinionated!
I. Title: The SunChips Compostable Bag Experiment.
II. Purpose: To test the compostability of the SunChips bag. Will it compost in a worm bin in 13 weeks, using the correct amount of browns and greens?
III. Prediction: I believe the bag will break down into usable compost in 21 weeks. (I loved when I was 21! Oh, that summer at college was amazing!). I just picked that number out of my as%, just knowing it will be longer than 13 because SunChips recommends the hot composting method over the cold vermicomposting method. 21 just sounds like a good # and the movie wasn’t too bad either! The book was better!
IV. Materials: Wonder Worman Bin, about 2lbs of Red Wigglers, a bunch of food scraps, a bunch of leaves, some peat moss, some shredded newspaper and about 30 compostable plates. Those plates are still there since July, but they are slowly breaking down. I will be tearing them up before December. I gave those suckers 4 months (16 weeks) to do it themselves. I think they need some of my help. Oh, I almost forgot and ONE SUNCHIPS bag!
V. Procedure: Cover the SunChips bag with the bedding mixture and let is decompose with the help of the various decomposers that inhabit a Wonder Wormin bin. Did you know there are more than Red Wigglers in a bin? That’s saved for another post.
Bag in the bin. The plates are removed for better viewing.
VI. Observations and Data: When the SunChips bag was first put into the bin on 11/10, the bin’s temperature was 60F. On 11/18 the temperature was 58F. When uncovering the bedding and looking at the bag, without taking it out of it’s place, the bag looked as it did at the initial start of the experiment.
It looks like things aren’t happening……… BUT WAIT!!!!
Look there's a rip in the bag!
The bag ripped when I took it out of the bin! This is a sign. The bag is breaking down on some molecular level! I think……I have no idea, but for it to rip when I gently lifted it to take a picture, something must be breaking down within the bag!
VII. Discussion: Anyone want to discuss with me???? more later…
Happy Wormin’
by Wonder Worman | Nov 16, 2010 | Less in the Landfill, Red Wiggler World, Sidetracks
Listen to this post!
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Stalk Market provides compostable tableware made with Ingeo
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Elements Naturals makes compostable baby wipes with Ingeo
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Jillson and Roberts uses compostable packing made with Ingeo.
Ingeo (pronounced in-gee-o) keeps popping up in my life and so unexpectedly! I’ve developed an interesting relationship with this silly word but great product!
Ingeo was first introduced to me over the summer when I met with Linda, the owner of Elements Naturals. Her compostable baby wipes are made with Ingeo, a plant based product which is 100% compostable. I was very happy to meet Ingeo and was very impressed by it’s capabilities. I also thought “Ooooooh, Ingeo, you are so soft!”
I didn’t run into Ingeo for quite sometime, until I bought a package of SunChips on Monday of last week. I then thought, “OH, Ingeo, you are so LOUD!, but that’s o.k. you’re good for the planet.”
Four days later, while wrapping a present, I started to undress Ingeo! Ingeo was covering my pretty yellow tissue paper. I then said , “ooooooh, Ingeo, you are sooooo smoooth!”
Then today the unspeakable happened! I had my lips on Ingeo!! While sipping a cup of coffee, I noticed the cup and lid were made with Ingeo.
Hmmmm, I am on the hunt for you Ingeo! Where and when will we meet again?! I can’t believe you had me kiss you without even asking! You are one smooooth operator!
If you’d like to learn more about this smooth, soft, sometimes loud but good for the planet product click here! (And to also see if you, too, may have had or still have a relationship with Ingeo?!)
I am in the process of vermicomposting the SunChips bag, some baby wipes and now the coffe lid and cup! I have to get rid of that evidence!
by Wonder Worman | Nov 13, 2010 | Less in the Landfill, Sidetracks
An empty can which once housed delicious black olives was sitting in the recycling bin before "little a" got her hands on it!
Now it is absolutely gorgeous! Froggers and Polka dots!!
"little a" added her special touch of love
My, lovely, gentle, sweet, kind, father-in-law turned 75 yesterday. “Little a” had made him a few gifts already and was not satisfied. She needed one more! As I was doing my “work stuff”, she was rummaging through the recycling bin under the cabinet. She found a can and decided to make a pen and pencil holder. At first, she was going to cover it with wrapping paper and call it good. I suggested she use the fabric that she bought a few weeks ago. She liked the idea and was off and running to create something special.
She made sure she had all of her supplies.
1) the can
2) some fabric
3) scissors
4) hot glue gun (be so careful with these! ouchy!)
5) a permanent marker
As she was working, I made sure to take pictures. She was recycling!
I was so proud when she gave her grandpa the gift, and he was so honored to have received it! Receiving a home made gift from a child is really special! I was fighting the tears that were building in my eyes as he was opening the gifts from the kids. When he was finished, I scooted to the bathroom and let them flow. I thought I got away undetected, but then there was a knock at the door. Carlos was there and saw that I was crying. He gave me a huge hug. I had to let him know that he has a wonderful, sweet kind dad! I cleaned up my face and headed back to the party! Carlos wasn’t the only one who saw my tears…. (geez, I need to control those things!) My sister-in-law, Patty, was standing there and gave me a hug and whispered in my ear “There’s nothing better than this. This right here is as good as it gets!” I couldn’t agree more! The love from family members is so freakin’ overwhelming sometimes!
