Over the weekend, in the green in front of my house, I found irresponsible dumping of wet kitchen waste, stinking to high heaven. Indeed the smell of rotting flesh. You know, like something had died and the stench that makes you sick to the stomach. I didn't even have to walk by it, because it wafted all the way downwind of the green, and spoiled the air around my home.
I can identify 2 immediate thought patterns here. Firstly the generous mentality of whichever household that decided the kitchen wet kitchen waste was too much stench for their own home so why not share it with the rest of the neighbours. Secondly, the economical mentality of why waste money buying a proper secure wastebin, when indiscriminate dumping is cheaper.
You would think that these behaviours are prevalent only among the uneducated, ulu village people. Nope, wrong! It is the behavioural mentality of urbanites as well. Nevermind that indiscriminate and open dumping of wet kitchen waste attracts flies and stray dogs. As long as it is not in their own yard, why care?
Take a look at the photographs here and be honest, would you like our neighbourhood to look like this? Will indiscriminate wet kitchen waste dumping increase the real-estate value of our neighbourhood? Does indiscriminate wet kitchen waste dumping foster closer neighbourhood relations? It this a pleasing picture that can be put on brochures to attract good neighbours?
Dumping of garden waste however is acceptable because
1. Plant prunings and cut grass don't stink and attract strays and flies.
2. The refuse is collected regularly every week i.e. Mondays
In contrast I've heard complaints about smell from dog poo. Significant differences between dog poo and wet kitchen waste are
1. Dog poo disintegrates within 48 hours as long as it's dropped on grassy, earth surfaces. In fact within 24 hours if it rains. It disintegrates fast because it attracts earthworms that recycle it into organic humus fertiliser and goes immediately back into the ground. Eventhough I have dogs, I take issue with dog owners who leave their dog poo on hard surfaces like roads and pedestrian paths where earthworms cannot access and is liable to be stepped on, thereby causing considerable inconvenience to everyone and causes dogs to be labeled a public nuisance.
2. Dog poo only stinks immediately after dropped. It doesn't continue to stink like rotting wet kitchen waste that makes you sick to the stomach. Nature's elements quickly takes care of it and returns ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
Now those of you who want to start a Cat poo discussion on the other hand, can count on my support because it can be directly compared to wet kitchen waste on the same stench scale.
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