Organized Compost Removal! Microhaulers, Assemble!

[KingGreyHealer]

In case I overlooked it (and if I have, please direct me to the organized thread), I wanted to gauge interest in having a semi-organized volunteer force of bicycle+trailer haulers going on semi-regular patrols to designated points on the grounds to the end of gathering all the organic food waste. To compost.

Perhaps the citizens of Gerlach and other nearby towns would be able to appreciate a dedicated supply of free kickass (over time) soil. ;D

Organizing microhauling services would and does have broad implications and impact. Hello ice delivery services for/from Artica??

Anyhow, this again is just a post to firstly gauge interest for galvanizing and coordinating those of us who contribute heavy lifting. With bikes. For good!

Sebastian

[some seeing eye]

Have you talked with the BM org commissary? They would be better at separating than the average burner, know local contacts who might be involved, and they would generate a good stream to start. Maybe they need a garden at the Gerlach office?

[Rice]

Have you talked with the BM org commissary? They would be better at separating than the average burner, know local contacts who might be involved, and they would generate a good stream to start. Maybe they need a garden at the Gerlach office?

If I recall correctly, the commissary already has a composting plan in place. At least they have done composting for the last 4 years I have been volunteering....

Perhaps getting something organized with a few of the larger theme camps (Green Tortoise, or any camp that caters large amounts of people). ??

[lemur]

there is a possibility of burning man staff camps using commisary/cafe composting resources but it isn't all that convenient unless you can plan ahead,...and know you gotta know about it beforehand

again for staff camps only.. not much use for everyone else..

as far as i am aware there is no place to just take stuff from a staff camp that you want composted.. they have to come to you.. maybe ive missed it..... a drop off place.... but i think i havnt.

i run a kitchen for a staff camp out there and produce a crapload of compostable stuff that i'd like to compost.. save organizing a pickup within the BMORG i would very much be interested in a community driven compost program as it would make use of all the stuff we end up tossing out..

id say 5-10 five gallon buckets of compost would be about the average for this kitchen..


if youre willing/planning on doing this..id say plan for, as mentioned above.... people not be very vigilant on keeping the compost pristine..

I am pretty sure the commisary tasks a person to make sure the garbage is sorted correctly,.. provides them with a little grabber to pull stuff out of trash bins...

in my own experience with recycyling/trash/sorting at burning man.. even with a buncha huge signs its nearly impossible to get people to do it right... so you nearly are required to have a garbage nazi making sure people do it right.

if you do end up doing this..id love to be a part of the program.. and if i forget about this thread.. .. send me an email lemur(at)burningman(dot)com to remind me or add me to some list as 'interested'

[unjonharley]

Some burner have mentioned drying there food scraps.. I do this on all camping trips. Real easy to do.. Just put the food scraps in a net bag.. After a few years at BM my dry scrap is about one pound.. Not much unless you X 50 000.. That's a bunch..My stuff go's with me to the worm bed..This year I have a fish tank held at 72F for my friend worms..

Gerlach must has a small garden tractor w/plow.. Scraps turned under in late Aug. would make good garden in the spring..

[lemur]

i do that for my personal small amount of food waste.. let it dry out in front of my tent...


wish thatd work with the big volumes in the kitchen tho!!

[unjonharley]

i do that for my personal small amount of food waste.. let it dry out in front of my tent...


wish thatd work with the big volumes in the kitchen tho!!

There is some thing for burners to work on. Sure make it easy to haul.. Then turn it under and water the ground..

[BBadger]

I like the idea, but I fear it might end up as a way people will abuse it as a free trash service. Also compost only turns into kick-ass soil after it has biodegraded into soil. Until then, it's just a big huge heap of stinky trash. How many Gerlach citizens are willing to store that shit until it's usable as soil?

Another thing to offer: have people separate their compost out from the rest, and then people do use it as a "free" trash service during exodus. Better than paying $5/bag right? Enforcement would need to be done to ensure that the trash really is compost and not just a bunch of bottles or bullshit like that.

[AntiM]

Compost and the desert.... I know if I forget to water ours it dries out and just sits there. And I'm in Utah, in a suburban environment. Someone in Gerlach would want to actively make sure it becomes compost.

[Bob]

Not sure what I think about all this, but I hope you discuss it in detail with people who have a history with Recycle Camp before you get much further. And Harley.

[unjonharley]

Not sure what I think about all this, but I hope you discuss it in detail with people who have a history with Recycle Camp before you get much further. And Harley.

The ground temp needs to be around 72F to get stuff rotting well.. So, is the winter snow/water there late enough in the spring/summer? Can worms live out there?? They are needed to complete the composting cycle. Otherwise you will have to bring in pot ash, bone meal, lime and other good stuff to make a complete break down.. Shit load of question huh?

[Bob]

Nothing to do with that. OP doesn't seem to give a clue that they already know Gerlach wants your garbage, that they have the capability to process, contain and transport literally tons of your garbage, that they know the health dept might be interested, etc. Handling garbage at Burning Man isn't your average 4-H project, ie, takes more than hippies pushing bikes around.

[lemur]

id hope that anyone claimed to want to do this would have an idea what a big amount of pain in the ass this would be before suggesting it..


im just 1 source and i quote maybe up to 10 five gallon buckets of shit to deal with.


hopefully they arent just picturing little susan with her tiny 1/5th full grocery store bag of scraps from a few days of vegan food

the needs and expectations out there are big

[Bob]

There is no need. There was no need for Recycle Camp either. Did that stop them?

[theCryptofishist]

I don't know what you mean by "need" but recycle camp does no harm that I can see. I don't really have the whatever to get my cans recycled, not organized on playa, but that's me. It doesn't seem like the same sort of logistical nightmare. Of course, those crushers are kinda fun.

Don't the locals have pretty easy access to manure.

(Burningmanure! I'm sure I'm not the first to make that joke, I know I won't be the last!)

[unjonharley]

Don't the locals have pretty easy access to manure.

(Burningmanure! I'm sure I'm not the first to make that joke, I know I won't be the last!)

Humanure for the garlic farmers.. And the bull shit Gerllach has to put up with..

[Bob]

Fits the alleged theme, anyway.