Pedal to Petal
Although there are many environmental benefits associated with apartment and condo living, it can be difficult for residents to compost organic waste. My own building offers convenient recycling depots for multiple kinds of plastics, beverage containers, and paper and cardboard products, but organic waste cannot be conveniently recycled.
However, the new Pedal to Petal cooperative has recently sprung up to meet this gap; for a nominal fee (currently $10 a month), apartment and condo residents can have their food scraps and other compostable waste picked up on a weekly basis. These organic materials are then transported by bicycle to a composting facility for processing. Ultimately, the resulting compost is distributed to community gardens and ‘urban farms’, including some that grow fresh food for low-income people.
Early reports indicate that the co-op has been tremendously successful, and I hope it continues to prosper over the long term.