by Andy Fenstermacher
I love recycling. Composting is great too. So why are they so darn difficult to do in an urban setting?
I live in a new 100-unit building in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. It’s also a Built Green project no less. But recycling and composting in my building are an utter pain and it really comes down to one primary issue: The building was not designed nor equipped to adequately deal with modern waste disposal. The only thing the building has is a traditional garbage chute on each floor; recycling has to be carried by hand to the common waste room.
Well here is one way to deal with the recycling issue in high-density (especially high-rise) residential buildings.
Recycling Chute
It’s called the Wilkinson Hi-Rise Recycling Chute. You can watch a nifty demo of it here. I’d pay good money to have one of these in my building. So how do design professionals go about convincing developers that this type of technology is worthwhile?
Now, dealing with composting is an entirely different issue. Unlike most buildings, mine fortunately does have a shared compost container. But, just like with the recycling room, it’s inconveniently located for someone like me who lives on the 5th floor. Who wants to keep a jar of rotting vegetables in their apartment then carry it downstairs every few days?
There’s got to be a better way to compost in an urban setting, especially when space is limited and odor is a major concern. Here is one architect’s solution. But at $1,500 it’s pricey. Plus, I think a better approach would be to create something more fully integrated with the building and the rest of the waste system.
I’m going to ponder this issue with my CollinsWoerman colleagues and get back to you with some design ideas for tackling urban composting.