Dear Eartha, even with all the rain, my neighbor’s sprinklers are running every day. It drives me crazy. Is there anything I can do? It’s downright discouraging to see sprinklers running in the rain, especially since we’re still in a drought. Yep, despite the deluge. Just last week, federal officials gave Western states more time to negotiate water […]
Unbeknownst to many, when uneaten food, vegetable peelings or any organic material is left to rot, it releases methane — a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide. This gas is a leading contributor to climate change. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that each year, food waste in the U.S. alone produces 170 million metric tons […]
Dear Eartha, I’ve been a patient High Country gardener and haven’t yet planted my vegetable garden, or my annuals. While I’m waiting, I’ve been thinking of adding compost to the beds. Is it really worth it, or is fertilizer enough? I applaud your self-control! Multiple weeks of 60 and 70-degree weather send many gardeners’ minds […]
Dear Eartha, I just moved here for the season and my condo doesn’t have recycling. What’s up with that? Is there anything I can do with my recyclables? Kudos to you for caring about your new home and community! Also, great timing. Today is America Recycles Day. November 15 marks the day that the Environmental […]
Dear Eartha, I love recycling my food scraps because it saves me space in my trash can and I feel good shrinking my environmental impact. I have noticed recently though, that trash is starting to get dumped into the food scrap bins. It’s so discouraging. Is there anything we can do? Even if you’re a […]
Dear Eartha, I recently bought compost from SCRAP for my flower beds. Is it safe to put in my herb garden, too? What’s the environmental benefit of using this instead of commercially bought compost? Double kudos to you – first for giving your flowers an added boost, and second for going local. The High Country Compost […]
Dear Eartha, I have a friend who tells me I should compost my food waste. But doesn’t the food I throw away break down in the landfill anyway? – Maggie, Keystone What an excellent question, Maggie! You’re not alone in thinking that it’s beneficial for items to break down in landfills. But what’s the truth? […]
Dear Eartha, I’ve always wanted to compost, but I’m afraid of the smell and attracting wildlife. How can I get started? – Sara, Blue River Sara, this is such an important question. The U.S. government estimates that more food waste – 37 million tons annually – ends up in the trash than any other single material. […]
Dear Eartha, I understand we cannot put paper towels in the compost up here because it is food scraps only, so I was wondering which kind of cleaning cloth (or towel) is most environmentally friendly. Can you help? – Daryl, Blue River What a great reminder that something as small as a cleaning cloth can […]
These grants are designed to help local entities and government agencies prevent and reduce waste. Recieve up to $70k to make your waste diversion projects a reality!
