A frustrated homeowner turned to Reddit for advice after their neighbor dumped plastic trash into their shared compost bin.
The post included a photo of the compost bin with Styrofoam trays, a full bag of unopened carrots, and a plastic bag of grapes.
The Redditor explained how they live in a duplex and use a communal compost bin that gets picked up every two weeks.
Other Redditors were shocked to see the wrong items sent into the compost bin along with the unnecessary food waste.
"And it looks like meat packaging too! That's terrible for compost. I'm sorry, this would definitely p*** me off," wrote one.
"The entire bag of carrots blows my mind," commented another.
🗣️ What's your biggest motivation in trying to reduce your personal food waste?
🔘 Saving money 💰
🔘 Helping the planet 🌎
🔘 Not being a wasteful person 😇
🔘 I don't think about reducing food waste 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Composting is a great way to recycle food scraps and save money on high-quality soil fertilizer. The mixture produced from composting organic matter is nutrient-rich and promotes healthy plant growth.
However, when non-biodegradable items, such as plastic packaging, coffee cups, and milk cartons, end up in a compost bin, microplastics leak into the biodegradable material. Living organisms ingest these microplastics when they break down the compost, causing them to accumulate contaminants that remain in their bodies indefinitely.
On the other hand, when compostable items, such as fruits and vegetables, are not composted properly, they end up in an incinerator or landfill. Both landfills and incinerators release harmful pollutants that contribute to a warming planet.
Methane is one of the main gases created by landfills and incinerators, and its warming effect on the planet is 80 times stronger than carbon dioxide.
"I have one of those compost tumblers. They're impossible to mistake as trash cans," wrote one Redditor.
"In my last apartment building, I once found a pair of sneakers in the compost bin," responded another user.
"If a simple conversation can't convince them to stop, your neighbors will make great compost if added to the bin!" joked a third.
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