That neighborhood composting drop-off I tried last month had rotten food just sitting out

I walked over to the community compost bin near Oak Park and it was overflowing with bags of moldy scraps that clearly weren't being turned or managed... the smell was awful and I saw rats scurrying nearby. I thought this was supposed to help reduce methane from landfills but it felt like we were just creating a new problem. Has anyone else had luck with a local compost program that actually works on a regular schedule?

2 comments

2 Comments

thompson.reese1mo ago

That composting thing sounds like every well-intentioned plan that nobody actually follows through on. Same pattern as the free recycling bins at the park that just become trash magnets after a month. Most local programs sound good on paper but skip the basic maintenance part, like actually having someone flip the pile every few days or swap out full bins. Oak Park's always been bad about keeping up with stuff like that, not surprised it turned into a rat buffet.

the_thea1mo ago

Heard @thompson.reese once say Oak Park can't even keep their fire hydrants clear of weeds, so this tracks perfectly.