Recycling & Graywater in Seattle

Since Earth Day 1970, individual consciousness has driven slow change to increase recycling programs within communities across the country. Still today, we have a reputation as the #1 trash-producing country in the world [2] at 4.4 pounds per person [1]. Unfortunately our per capita production of trash has remained above 4 pounds since 1990 [1]. At the same time, at least our per capita rate has been slowly declining since 2000 [1]. According to the EPA, in the United States in 2014, 258 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) was generated, and 89 of that was recycled or composted (34.6%) [1]. Only 1/3! Simultaneously, the percent of recycled and composted materials has steadily increased since 1990 (from 16%) -- we must remember sustainable change is slow.

Of the 258 million tons of MSW, our highest contributors are paper and paperboard (26%) and food/yard waste (28.2%) [1]. To give you a visual: Americans throw away enough office paper each year to build a 12 foot high wall from Seattle to NY (a new wall every year) [2]. Of the 136 tons put in landfills and 33 tons combusted-- the highest percent is food (21%) [1]. In fact, almost half of the food in the U.S. goes to waste - approximately 3,000 pounds per second [2]. Can you believe this figure? What an incredible problem to try and wrap your brain around. We must ask, for what end is so much paper being generated (and the cutting down of trees) and imagine how much space would be saved in landfills (and CO2 emissions) if every home could properly maintain a compost pile. The separate issue of so much food waste in a world of undernourished and starving people is a whole other conversation...

This is painful for me to consider, and perhaps is for you too. To remain optimistic, we can celebrate our successes. The 34.6% of MSW diverted from combustion or landfill in 2014, this saved us 181 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions [1]. This means if we keep investing in recycling technology and programs we can also continue to reduce CO2 emissions. In places like Seattle, we have strong recycling programs that most people participate in. It's true that Seattle does a good job of recycling unconventional items -such as cooking oil- while educating the public through their website and annual mailings. We also have groups like Buy Nothing on Facebook where people can donate unwanted items, that their neighbors might treasure. Some people might argue we're already doing a great job in Seattle--it's other parts of the country we need to worry about--which we cannot control, so this conversation is somewhat unnecessary. 

This is where I currently live; am I doing all I can to conserve it's resources? Well, I am not maintaining my own compost pile, nor am I actively recycling water. What is stopping me? Is it because 'I don't have to'?

The bigger picture is to address conservation--and to ask yourself the question, could you call yourself a conservationist? Also, what does it mean to be a conservationist in today's world? I believe to be a conservationist in our area means both reducing our consumption and reducing pollution, and regularly assessing our individual habits. Also not settling for what seems to be good enough, because in our culture we are used to being comfortable and have extreme notions of what resources are "necessary". On an individual level, asking the question, "Do I have more than I need, and what do I really need?" is probably not something we do enough of. On a societal level, fortunately Seattle seems to be doing "good enough": we have great programs to address conservation and tackle some of our local issues, including RainWise, Adopt-A-Drain, Trees for Neighborhoods, King Conservation District grants, green stormwater infrastructure projects, and on an administrative level we are even discussing Climate Change.

With strong systems already in place, we can begin to ask how we might improve inefficiencies (in addition to making changes on an individual level). One obvious question for our area is water conservation, which we possibly don't think about because we are surrounded by it. I think about this every time I am drinking tap water and smell chlorine. We haven't had to face shortages very often (except the Summer of 2016) however that is something that will likely shift in the future with climate change. So we need to begin to ask the questions now. Our two major watersheds, Tolt and Cedar, supply water for 1.4 million people in Seattle, through 18,000 miles of pipeline [3]. Although on their website, Seattle Public Utilities suggest ways to "Reduce Water Use", nowhere do they talk about graywater. It's fascinating that as progressive as Seattle is, even on their sister website savingwater.org, there is no specific mention of graywater. Other areas in the country that are facing dramatic water shortages (like California) might provide case studies (like the City of Berkeley) to show how water recycling programs can be institutionalized.

Sweet ass DIY Compost Toilet on a farm I visited recently

Well we don't have to wait for the city to catch up, yet DIY Graywater is not something we do in our household (except from the dehumidifier-every time it fills up, my roommate dumps it somewhere in the garden). Again I will suggest that we have been too relaxed about this particular topic because we haven't "needed" to recycle water. How long will our abundance last? How long will it take to fund and install graywater systems on a city-wide scale once shortages  become more commonplace? As citizens of Seattle, we can be more pro-active pushing legislators to create programs or regulations to utilize graywater technology. All we really need to do is turn to resources like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington State Department of Health to learn more about recycling water and how to make it safe, as well as how to educate lawmakers. The City clearly projects future climate changes: sea-level rise (drainage and flooding problems), extreme precipitation (again drainage and flooding problems), extreme heat (drought and water resource allocation problems), and hydrology changes in general [4]. If they are truly concerned about these future scenarios, they will need to look at solutions that include graywater.

For more information about the possibility of graywater systems in Seattle, check out Seattle Graywater Initiative, where you can contact Patrick Loderhose and get his perspective on the best way to nudge Seattle along. And for someone like me, who needs to put their talk to action, I  need to reflect on DIY solutions I can do in my own home now, that my roommates will tolerate.

I still am not sure how to address my own lazy conservationist tendencies. I've heard the saying "Necessity is the Mother of Invention"," but with an awareness of a changing climate, and that I can do better, I need to do the work of shifting my patterns. I'm not sure what it will take but it's good for me to admit out loud. A possible starting point.


Works Cited

[1] "Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. November 19, 2017. https://www.epa.gov/smm/advancing-sustainable-materials-management-facts-and-figures
[2] "General Recycling Facts." Recycle Across America. Web. November 19, 2017. http://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/recycling-facts
[3] "Water." Seattle Public Utilities. Web. November 26, 2017. https://www.seattle.gov/util/MyServices/Water/index.htm
[4] "Projected Climate Changes." Seattle Public Utilities. Web. November 26, 2017. https://www.seattle.gov/util/EnvironmentConservation/ClimateChangeProgram/ProjectedChanges/index.htm

Soil Test

The home that I rent in Upper Fremont has a rundown house, haphazard garden, and up until last year blackberry thicket covered the yard. 

Last year two friends cleared the blackberry out and tilled the ground, then created tidy little rows to plant a garden. One day in May they had a planting party and asked me to improvise a plan for seeding. I thought about sun requirements and families, and threw a diagram together. A big group of us planted seeds in the little rows, including herbs, greens, peas, beet, carrot, chard, tomato, pepper and pumpkin. It was essentially a grand experiment with little observation of the land, and no plan! However, it wasn't long before many seeds sprouted - though no peppers, and some more fully than others. With a makeshift irrigation system, and a little tending, we were able to watch the outcome of our best efforts. I ended up spending more time with this garden through the summer and into the fall, when I finally moved in Dec 1. 

My (now) boyfriend and I maintain the garden and are slowly learning how the soil influenced last year's yield, so we can improve soil in the upcoming year. We wish to create the conditions for our desired plants to thrive, perhaps discouraging so many weeds, pests and diseases. We are well aware that 'we are what we eat', or, like our food, we are "truly a product of the soil and reflect in [our] bodies - and minds - the wealth or poverty of the land" (Kohnke & Franzmeier 4). We also know our soil is not that dark.

Last year in late summer I sent soil samples to King Conservation District. All King County residents are eligible for one free soil test a year totaling five samples. King Conservation District contracts with A & L Western Agricultural Laboratories in Portland, OR to conduct the analysis. I sent my samples in the mail and received results through email!

Here are snapshots of test results for my two samples:

In addition to lab results we received a Soil Analysis Booklet PDF created by Peaceful Valley Farm Supply - an organization that began in 1976 out of Nevada City, CA, and currently operates the website groworganic.com. Their booklet is specifically directed at chemical analysis (rather than biological or physical).

Instead of providing a thorough analysis of our lab results, I thought I would highlight what appears to be going well, and what needs improvement. Of course this is based on one soil test taken late summer, and likely the results would be different depending on the time of year, and would be different now, reflecting our efforts over the fall/winter:

Organic Matter/humus

We need high organic matter because it binds to clay/minerals to create water-stable aggregates. This type of soil structure facilitates the slow release of nutrition and proper drainage - thereby nourishing "good tilth" (Kohnke & Franzmeier 13). Since organic matter reads above 5% in our soil test, we don't need to worry about adding more (PVFS 3). Formally the soil was covered by invasive grasses and weeds with ongoing root structure being broken down, which possibly explains the organic matter. Also our cool, moist Maritime climate favors humus formation (Kohnke & Franzmeier 54). However organic matter is always being broken down, so in order to maintain current levels, we will need to continue producing biomass through cover crop, or collecting other plant material on site for mulch, as well as using arborist wood chips.

N-P-K

Nitrogen facilitates quick growth response; phosphorus is key for flowering, fruiting, and rooting; and potassium is important for regulating metabolism (PVFS 4-7). Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus are the elements most needed for crop yield, so we are lucky our reading is Med-High. We won't have to stress about fertilizing - although our test results indicate imbalance. Since we have slightly lower potassium we may want to add a little, which may inadvertently raise pH (PVFS 7). Yet we don't know how much nutrient loss occurred over the fall/winter, and the amount of plant nutrients taken up by crops and removed from the field vary a great deal from year to year (Kohnke & Franzmeier 43). It will be interesting to see what next year's soil test results show. We overwintered nitrogen-fixing cover crop and will grow peas so hopefully we can fertilize via biomass.

Magnesium and Calcium

Calcium, magnesium and sulfur are secondary plant food elements (Kohnke & Franzmeier 37) and unfortunately our readings are Low to Med-Low. Magnesium is important for chlorophyll production and the uptake of phosphorus; calcium is critical for cell wall structure; and sulfur for the fabrication of proteins (PVFS 8-11). Since our pH is low, perhaps influenced by the strong presence of acidic blackberry, it makes sense that our magnesium and calcium levels are low (the higher they are the typically more alkaline the soil). Because the levels are so low we may need to fertilize beyond adding compost to the soil, while trying to raise pH. One concern with adding lime or gypsum, however, is they can contribute to cementation at lower horizon levels, as mineral weathering accumulates to form a pan (Kohnke & Franzmeier 73) thus diminishing drainage over time. Perhaps just a tiny bit of fertilizing will go a long way.

pH

Our low pH could originate from our moderate rainfall climate (PVFS 14), which encourages an environment where blackberry can thrive in disturbed soil, and perpetuate an acidic soil. However this information alone does not mean we necessarily need to add lime (ibid). It really depends on which crops we want to grow and their pH preferences. So we may want to cultivate microclimates based on pH requirements, because we want to grow some acid-loving foods like potatoes, but also some alkaline-loving foods like Brassicas. However since most crops thrive in pH 6.5-6.8 we generally want to work in that direction (Kohnke & Franzmeier 30) . We could experiment with not adding lime and seeing how next year's soil samples read, simply from adding compost and mulch.

Cation Exchange Capacity

CEC represents the soil's ability to retain and release cations for later use, and the higher the number, they greater the capacity. Our reading, which ranges from 10.5-11.7 is considered low, however if we continue to add compost and cover crop, we may steadily build humus to reach a level of 20 (PVFS 14). This little bit of information is particularly important in relation to pH. We have low pH, possibly due to low calcium -- but if we add lime to increase calcium, our low CEC may not be able to retain it (ibid) rendering the effort useless (and possibly just leaching to create a hard pan in the subsoil!) To connect back to our organic matter levels - which are high - because we have low CEC we need to "promote biological activity" to help break organic matter down, in order to release plant nutrient. The more microbes there are, the more fertile the soil (Kohnke & Franzmeier 57). This may be are best angle toward raising CEC: add compost or even microbial inoculations (PVFS 3). Arborist wood chips may be the most affordable option (free) for building microbial activity.

Summary

Our soil test results suggested that we fertilize with lime, nitrogen, potassium and sulfur. Yet as Toby Hemenway aptly put, "In nature, fertility comes from the vegetation and soil life, not from a bag of fertilizer" (Hemenway 31). Indeed we wish to mimic nature in our efforts to build soil. Our goal is to facilitate "good tilth" so we will take the following steps: build biomass, mulch with arborist wood chips, add compost to the soil, plant nitrogen fixers, and cultivate pH microclimates. Ideally these steps will equate to the permaculture approach of "making the least change for the greatest effect" (Hemenway 6).

Works Cited

Kohnke, Helmut and D.P. Franzmeier. Soil Science Simplified. 4th Edition. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, 1995. Print.

Peaceful Valley Farm Supply. Understanding Your Soil Analysis Report. 2004, PDF file.

Hemenway, Toby. Gaia's Garden. 2nd Edition. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009. Print.

Garlic

We are still going to garden. http://herbdiaryseattle.blogspot.com/2013/01/new-weed-lot.html#!/2013/01/new-weed-lot.html We will not get much sun in our back or side yards. But we're still going to put things in the ground.

Anita cleared out a bed below the grafitti and lined it with large stones. She layed cardboard down on the little growth that is there.

I cleared out a bed by the side of the house that has pretty good soil already. Just not much light. But I stuck some garlic bulbs in there. The best time for planting garlic is in the fall (the babies I planted at Doppelganger are doing alright) but you can also plant in the spring. It might be early still but it's all for the sake of experiment. These cloves needed to be dealt with. Some of them have been planted with compost, some not. I'm wondering about putting mulch down since it's late February. http://www.garlicfarm.ca/growing-garlic.htm

Well, another garden from scratch! Oh well. Here is an easy article on "Starting A Garden".

Garden Tea

Went to this workshop today facilitated by permaculture enthusiast Jordan Fink http://jordanfink.com/ about soil health and creating compost tea. Some of the soil around my U District home contains a happy abundance of earthworms. Why make compost tea? My roommates wanted to know when I got home. Why bother?

Just like in my gut, good bacteria pits against the bad. Left as is, the powdery mildew on our mint will just persist. But I want to be able to harvest that stuff, so what will happen if I treat it with compost tea medicine? Perhaps together we may:

Compost Tea . Com - Crowd out the disease-causing microbes & provide nutrients. Maybe there will be no affect this season but over time the health of these plants can improve.

I think this compost medicine tea is worth the time and effort, and the 12-hour power aerator. A fun little activity to do with the kids at work, in the very least.

Fine Gardening - Missed the workshop? This article tells you how to make it (and below is the handout that was provided)