A few weeks ago, I had to stop by the local council hall to get some paperwork done. I saw a desk in a corner, next to a pile of small brown containers they seemed to be giving away. I approached the people behind the desk, and they told me that these were compost containers.
Here in Barcelona, there are skips for trash every few blocks, and so each apartment dweller takes his or her trash out there every few days. The trash skips are typically grey, and there are also yellow and green bins for recycling. Lately I had noticed some skips with brown lids, but I hadn’t paid any attention. Apparently they were for compost!
I asked if I could have one. They said yes, and asked for my address – they only give out one of these per house, so as to keep people from repurposing them. They also asked how many people lived in my house so they could determine whether to give me a small or large compost container.
The brown container was like a goodie bag, with loads of stuff inside: A fridge magnet (pictured above) which tells you what you can and can’t compost, a starter roll of biodegradable cornstarch liners, and a booklet of tips for living in an environmentally-friendly way.
Back in the United States, I composted in the back yard. It was messier than I would have preferred, and since I am not an avid gardener, I only ever really did it for the environment. I’m so glad to be able to compost again, but this time to have the city of Barcelona deal with the mess, and hopefully also reap the benefits — rich soil, raw materials for paper, and a little less trash in our landfills.
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