Food for thought as city expands scraps recycling

The first thing that strikes me is that these articles (like many others on the internet) are based on Northern Hemisphere experience, where they are more interested in heating homes than here in Australia, where cooling is at least as much of an issue (and I don’t know how they stack up relative to each other).

Often we are comparing ducks and apples.  A modern cross-ventilated apartment in a low rise block with no lifts to drive or underground car park to ventilate or light, is clearly going to be more efficient than an air-conditioned penthouse on top of a high building with lots of interior lights and other power-hungry devices in the building (which would have used a lot of energy just to build).

How does that compare with a draughty old house in the suburbs?  Beats me!

Some of the studies I’ve seen quite validly take into account proximity to public transport and local shops and schools  in calculating the carbon footprint of homes, all of which tilt things in favour of apartments. But there are so many more issues – like the relative age of the buildings, for instance.

I suppose the most direct comparision would be a modern house in the same street as a modern apartment, but my broad generalisation was based on average apartments that do have power-chomping facilities and don’t have the latest low emission plant and fittings. So I’ll stick tentatively to my guns on that basis.

Where apartments can score well in the sustainability game is when their carbon footprint is addressed as thoroughly and efficiently as possible so everyone in the block is making a contribution, if only passively.

The CBS link is interesting – thanks for that.  The comparison between using a cotton bag a couple of times against reusing a plastic bag till it falls apart is pertinent. I sometimes wonder if we are heading for a fake hessian bag crisis – I’ve got cupboards full of them – but I do carry a rolled up nylon bag I got from Woolies wherever I go.

And you wonder if it’s worth it when some dunderheads can’t summon the energy to empty their recyclables out of the plastic bag they carry them in, and take a few more steps to but the bag in a separate bin.

I didn’t know such a thing as a domestic food scraps recycling unit even existed.

Very handy for people living in areas where there is no council collection and composting isn’t available.

But read the very honest customer reviews … it’s not for everyone.