In what way am I going to define the waste stream? Around the dinner table at tonight's Macosky Center Pot-Luck, Thomas Reynolds hit me with a topic that I’ve not explored in too much depth. In what ways is the compost cycle considered as a waste stream in my diet? The thoughts that I’ve had in the past are tagged with the phrase, “it goes to the pigs.”
This phrase brings two personal realities to mind. First was at a youth 4-H camp, where the dining hall food-waste from all of us snot-nosed kids was sent to the pig pen. I remember the quantities of wet and soggy food dumped. The second was at one of my experiences here at Slippery Rock. As a volunteer I was handing out information on in-home energy savings measures at food cupboards in Butler county. One of the locations, in my view, had too much food and way too much bread to be passed out before it when bad. Then, I was on a different diet, but still curious on how to get my hands on food that was bound to be tossed. So I asked, while trying to hide my drool. The helper in the office said if no one can use it then it goes to the pigs. Still today I don’t know if he literally meant that it became slop at a pig pen, or that was Slippery Rock slang for throwing it away.
The topic brought feedback from all around the Macosky dinner table. Is anything going to waste? If food was discarded into the compost stream it would be broken down into healthy soil, and the product used to grow more food. So is it waste or not. In the case of composting, would I be taking away an intended factor of an end-less life-cycle? The feeling I get is that my experiment is intending to draw more of an impact from the general post-consumer lifestyle. But the topic; wasn’t the food brought to the table with the intentions on being consumed. Weren’t the grains, fruits, and veggies grown, harvested, and prepared for one purpose? No matter how organic or how sustainable the methods, when the product reaches its intended purpose it has, to some extent, reached the end of it use. The moment its direction shifts from human consumption to a secondary purpose, the primary use of the product has changed.
My conclusion is that the food has reached the end of its intent and is discarded as waste. Sure, a waste can be turned into a product, but whether the waste goes to the compost bin or the trash can does not have relevance in my diet. There are the hungry who died today.
2 Week Anniversary-
This was going to be the big heading for today’s post. Two weeks ago, Wednesday February 3 was my first confirmed day of consuming only from the waste-stream.
While on campus, before having anything to consume, classmates Dan and Cory offer minimal scavenging on my behalf. So I sent them of with a bag to carry anything they find in the waste to give to me. They were specific in the number of trash cans that they searched, proving their attempt of the adventure, and brought back an apple. This apple will be saved until Saturday. Thanks guys. It’s good that they are getting practice. If this experiment had more concrete rules their gift may not be allowed.
Cory gave me a tip about a mass pizza event that seemed to be nearing its end. He suggested scoping it out for leftovers. They must have either been handing it out for a ‘cause’ or handing it out because it was left over. Since it was unclear, I didn’t worry much about it on my first investigation. On the second look, there was no activity and no pizza. I searched the cans and came out with some veggies and cheese cubes. I shared the cheese cubes with classmates Dan and Steve “Fancy Pants” Yam. This is the first time Fancy Pants has “broken waste-stream bread” with me. I reminded him that he was eating out of the trash. He commented…”it was just going to go to the….well….it was, in the garbage.” Good observation.
Next I had to prepare for tonight's Macosky Pot-Luck event. What to Bring? I discussed this briefly with Bert. But can I morally serve people from the waste-stream? No- so I fantasized of bringing a super-cool dish that donned a waste-stream label. At past events, dishes have been labeled “organic this” and “vegan that.”
Steamed the string beans and banana pepper, then added hot-dog chunks to it. Also, I brought the cookies and the rest of the Strawberries. I really didn’t know how to offer or share my dish, so I just dumped it on my own plate while cursing myself for forgetting about non-meat eaters. Since the focus of my diet has switched it slipped my mind. Sorry to all of those who wanted a taste! And Thanks to all those who tried my world famous waste-stream strawberries.
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