Patria-Kaye Aarons | Building a better backyard garden with garbage

I spent the latter part of 2018 travelling quite a bit. Between work and vacation, I've visited five different countries in the last six weeks, and the level of cleanliness of the streets of those countries has left me ashamed. First world, third world, it didn't matter. In the main, people disposed of refuse in a civilised manner, from what I could see. I couldn't help but make comparisons between those countries and mine, and the all-too visible garbage everywhere I turn in Jamaica is just plain nasty.

The plastic ban now on will help clean up the place over time. It will take creativity and certainly more money to find alternatives to plastic and styrofoam, but it's a necessary move we must make for a better, cleaner Jamaica. Behaviour change and compliance will take time. Too many turn a blind eye to the filth that surrounds us. Paper bags strewn on the street will look equally as distasteful as plastic bags improperly disposed of. We have to provide garbage receptacles and insist that they be used. Garbage collection needs to be improved, and people need to actually take pride in their surroundings.

I yearn for the day when we get to the stage where Jamaica separates household rubbish, recycles where possible, and practises more sustainable garbage management practices. But until then, until legislation demands it and entrepreneurs see the business opportunities in garbage, there's more that we can do; that we must do. As communities, as families, and individuals.

COMPOST

I stumbled upon a small action that has made a big impact in my household. Kwasi and I have begun to compost. He's a countryman at heart and has always talked about the benefit, but we never took action until about a year ago. I thought it was a little airy-fairy. That it would be unhygienic and smelly, would attract insects and rodents to our backyard, and quite frankly, that it would take too much time and effort. I was wrong with almost every assumption.

We began throwing the compostable garbage at the roots of an ackee plant that was growing in our backyard. We began to notice a distinct change in the size and shininess of the leaves of the tree. We started adding banana peels and mango skins, etc, to the roots of a sweetsop tree that was struggling and it, too, began to flourish with new life. We decided that anything that could become mulch, we'd throw at the tree roots. The results have been wonderful.

Our tiny backyard in Duhaney Park, not even as wide as a sidewalk, has become a thriving backyard garden, many of the plants springing naturally from discarded seeds. We have sweetsop, lime, okra, pineapple, papaya, ackee, callaloo, sweet pepper, pepper, June plum, mango (and a few other plants I can't yet identify) all growing nicely back there.

We've actually reduced the garbage we put out for collection by about two-thirds. The waste breaks down far too quickly to start smelling, and the only new critters are the occasional frog.

Composting has also helped me to gauge better what I feed my family. As long as the garbage I add to the compost heap is more than what we put out for collection, it means we are eating natural, more healthy foods. More cans and packaging is a signal to me to go peel a hand of banana.

I shared with my readers my bucket list back in 2015. Item number 19 was "Eat from a garden I grew". I did it! I was never before so excited to cook callaloo and sweet pepper - planted, grown and picked with my own hands. For 2019, no matter how small your backyard is, I encourage you to compost.

- Patria-Kaye Aarons is a broadcaster and confectioner. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and findpatria@gmail.com.