Biosolid Re-Use

On our fifth day last week we had a lengthy discussion about Ackerman-Leist’s suggestion to promote the return of biosolids back into the food system, focusing in particular upon how realistic this proposal was. If biosolids are to be re-used, I believe the initial change has to come through top-down, legislative action. Our “grossed out” attitude toward human waste is so fixed that I think the only way for biosolids to become part of our food system would be through laws that essentially forced people, perhaps through fines, to accept and adopt this change.

One similar example that comes to mind is Mayor Bloomberg’s recent proposal to make food composting mandatory in New York City. Though the residential composting program will be voluntary at first, predictions have been made that in three to five years composting will be required for all city residents. Residents’ initial reactions to this proposition have been mixed–while some are largely supportive others have declared that they will only begin to compost when it is officially required by city law, citing the smell and inconvenience as reasons they do not want to compost (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/17/nyregion/bloombergs-final-recycling-frontier-food-waste.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0).

In the case of biosolid re-use, I would predict a similar, albeit more dramatic, reaction: refusal to comply until mandated by law. Of course legislation is never 100 per cent effective, yet it seems to me that law has the capacity to shift faster than cultural attitudes, especially those related to human waste. As a (quasi) Anthropology major, I would argue that cultural attitudes are even more resistant to change than law.

In our group discussion we also considered the possibility of locating the re-use system within already established treatment plants, adopting the same “out of sight, out of mind” approach our waste system currently employs. Under this strategy, perhaps biosolid re-use could be incorporated into our food system more rapidly. It is possible that if people cannot see the process, they might be less opposed.

As Justin made clear, engaging in revolutionary sustainable behaviors will rarely be easy, though I think a shift in cultural attitudes fueled by legislative action may have the capacity to make these necessary changes possible in the near future.

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