We don’t usually think of great design and kitchen compost at the same time, which may be why many of us don’t like our kitchen compost pails.
This is the kind of story Natural Awakenings loves to tell: A local guy looks at a commonplace problem and solves it beautifully, after others failed or never bothered to try in the first place. It’s even better because our favorite elements are in the story: fresh thinking creates a green product that makes it easier for other people to live green. What’s not to like?
Jeff Evans is an avid cook. He is also an avid recycler. In theory, he believed that composting kitchen scraps was a wonderful idea. He wanted to do the right thing. But he had some issues with the standard Portland compost pail. Although it represented a step in the right direction, it clearly had not yet arrived.
Evans isn’t the only person to notice this situation. The pail is not pretty. On a counter, it is an awkward height for a receptacle. In the sink, it gets in the way. No matter where it is, scraping a plate or peeling vegetables into the pail is a three-handed operation—hold the plate with one hand, hold the scraper in the other hand, and with yet another hand hold the lid of the pail open. Given this challenge, it’s common, at least occasionally, to miss the pail, which requires extra clean-up.
Evans didn’t like the mess; he didn’t like the ergonomics, and he didn’t appreciate the aggravation. He didn’t believe it should be this difficult to do the right thing. Aside from that, he understood that the reason most of us have for giving up on a green project is, “… it was too much trouble.”
Unlike most of us, Evans comes from a manufacturing-and-design background that goes back more or less to his birth. The family business supported microchip manufacturing. When he started on his own, he specialized in medical installations. Creating products that only halfway worked would have run him and his family out of business.
He had never given much thought to compost pails although that was about to change. Evans didn’t actually lie awake nights, but he’s not the type to let go of a challenge. He needed a simple, durable, attractive, affordable and convenient way to overcome the multiple objections to the standard-issue compost pail that showed up in every Portland household last October, and he designed and prototyped until he came up with one.
The result is the Kitchen Compost Caddy. Patent is pending, and it is being marketed right now out of the basement of Evans and his partner, Ron Summerow. As long as you still have the pail that Metro gave you, count on spending $29 plus a little for shipping. If you need another pail, it will cost a bit more.
The Kitchen Compost Caddy shows uncommonly good thought applied to a common situation. The metal frame mounts the compost pail inside the door of a kitchen cabinet. It screws into the door frame (screws are provided), and holes are pre-drilled for the most common dimensions. The rack and pail, once installed, allows the cabinet door to be closed without interference with the sink drain or garbage disposal. The compost pail slips solidly into its mounts at top and bottom, and it lifts out easily for emptying and cleaning. A small handle clicks positively into place to hold the lid of the pail open for food disposal, vegetable peeling and bag changing. And it clicks just as positively into the down position so the lid will fully close. Two models are offered: one with a basket to store a box of composting bags, and one without.
The powder-coat finish means this product will never rust or corrode. It is difficult to imagine how it could be broken. Everything comes from local sources; it’s all 100 percent recyclable, and final assembly takes place, for the time being, in Evans’ basement.
To make the deal smell sweeter—literally—Evans will throw in an activated-charcoal filter with mounting hardware to attach to the underside of the lid. Like that box of baking soda in the fridge, you’ll be glad to have it.
To have a perfect story, there needs to be a happy ending. This product is brand new, and it’s currently local to Portland. Evans hasn’t given up his day job. He’s promoting Kitchen Compost Caddy through trade shows, advertising and word-of-mouth. He is also looking at other cities which already require composting, or which will follow the trend soon. With his patent pending, he has yet to find any competition for this delightfully ‘common-sensical’ product, so the future looks bright.

For further details, or to order a Kitchen Compost Caddy, visit KitchenCompostCaddy.com or call Jeff Evans at 503-206-5665.

When he sees where his new patients are coming from, Dr. Lance Heppler notices a change‑‑for the good. Lance Heppler, DMD, FAGD, calls his practice “Dental Designs.” Located in southeast Vancouver, WA, it is one of the few holistic dental practices in the Portland area, offering everything patients expect in family dentistry‑‑except exposure to mercury.
More than 1500 names show up on an internet search for dentists with Portland addresses. Of those, “… there are seven or eight dentists like me,” Heppler estimates. Patients come from as far away as Albany to the south, and Centralia to the north.
Two years ago, about 30 to 40 percent of his new patients came specifically because Dental Designs was a mercury-free practice. Some of them were sick from exposure to mercury. Some of them intended not to risk any exposure to mercury, ever. Recently, that number has climbed to about 70 percent. New patients, overwhelmingly, are coming to Dental Designs specifically for holistic dentistry. The referral grapevine is working well for people who suffer from mercury exposure, Heppler surmises, and patients are becoming more educated about choosing the dentist, and the care, that will work best in the long term. To keep up with demand, Heppler has added another dentist to the staff at Dental Designs.
Holistic, or Biological, or Mercury-Free Dentistry‑‑all of those terms apply‑‑is still a controversial field. Holistic spokesmen cite evidence about the dangers of traditional dentistry; traditional voices characterize holistic practitioners as new-age kooks. Heppler is in a position to see the bigger picture. He is one of only about 2 percent of American dentists entitled to write the initials FAGD (Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry) after their names, which indicates continuing education verified by rigorous exams. It took him 10 years to earn the FAGD, and he’s familiar with the arguments on all sides of the issue.
The key, he explains, is seeing individual differences. Some people take in heavy metals, which flush out harmlessly. Other people will experience a slow buildup of mercury on peripheral nervous tissue until they start showing symptoms‑‑tremors, depression, fatigue, unclear thinking, chronic pain‑‑that can be misdiagnosed in a variety of ways. Symptoms start adding up somewhere in a patient’s mid-30s, and some patients suffer for years before the problem is diagnosed correctly.
Once a problem is diagnosed, treatment happens in phases. First, the old amalgam fillings are removed. “Getting them out is riskier than putting them in,” Heppler explains, and there’s a strict protocol for removing the fillings without risking further exposure. When the amalgam is gone, patients are referred to a naturopathic physician who can prescribe ways to remove the residual mercury from their bodies.
Of course, the obvious way to deal with toxicity issues is to never risk them in the first place. That’s the point of a holistic dental practice. Most of the patients at Dental Designs aren’t in crisis. Grownups and kids are getting mercury-free fillings, non-metallic bridge- and crownwork, a metal-free approach to straightening teeth and careful attention to individual tolerances for anesthetics and medications. There’s nothing here that’s likely to make anybody sick‑‑not now, and not 30 years down the road.
There are now two more outposts in the Dental Designs practice. Silver Falls Family Dental (SilverFallsFamilyDental.com) is operating in Silverton, Oregon, and Astoria Family Dental (AstoriaOregonDentist.com) is thriving in Astoria. There are full-time dentists in each location, and Dr. Heppler visits once a week. Staff is hand-picked in all locations, and Heppler can’t stop singing their praises. He describes them collectively as gentle, wonderful, smart and understanding. Because of the broader perspective of the Dental Designs practice, they are especially alert to patients’ concerns and questions.

Dr. Lance Heppler’s practice, Dental Designs, is located at 900 SE Chkalov Drive, close to I-205 on the southeast side of Vancouver. The office phone is 360-896-1449, and the website is dentaldesignsvancouver.com.

The North Portland Wellness Center (NPWC), the recipient of a record nine Natural Awakenings Awards this year, was voted the best in holistic healthcare, women’s health, and chiropractic to name just a few. How did they do it? Read on for some insight into why so many readers voted for them.
Driven by a strong vision to create a sustainably built, multi-disciplinary clinic in the North Portland area, founders and owners Annabelle Snow and Lili Scott purchased an old, condemned four square on North Vancouver Avenue in May of 2005 and began work. The walls were crumbing, the roof barely covered the structure below and blackberries had taken over the property! Today, the clinic is truly a place of healing. Their intention to create a warm, welcoming, healing environment is evident in the attention to detail you find throughout the building, both inside and out.
At the core of their value system is the fundamental belief in sustainable practices. It’s a theme you see running through everything they create. For instance, the majority of the products used in renovating the building were reclaimed or green certified materials. They also sport a rainwater harvesting system while solar panels cover the southwest portion of the roof. Their dedication to sustainability flows into their business practices and work environment as well. In fact, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has honored them with the Blue Works and Recycle at Work awards since they opened their doors in 2007.
The owners lead a team of acupuncturists, chiropractors and massage therapists, a synergistic combination that offers the most comprehensive treatment plan, maximizing the likelihood of complete healing/resolution of most complaints. They offer individualized treatments, including nutritional support, herbs and supplements, lifestyle counseling, diet, exercise and stretching regimens.
Their practice scope is broad, specializing in issues from auto accidents, work injuries and pain-related issues to women’s health concerns, fertility enhancement and support through all stages of pregnancy. They also offer whole family care, including digestive complaints and immune support to name just a few.
Also noteworthy is that they offer full service insurance billing from calling to verify whether or not a patient has benefits to billing the company directly. They provide service through every step of the process.

Find out for yourself why the NPWC is such a favorite – join them for a Year of the Dragon Open House on Monday, January 30, 5-7pm.