Finished Compost Giveaway and Busy Bins

This week by the numbers:

• 91.8 lbs collected this week

• 19,317 lbs total diverted from landfill

• 772,680 total CO2e reduction

• 16.10 cubic yards of landfill space reduced

This week, we collected 91.8 pounds of food scraps for composting.

That total was a little lower than usual, but for a good reason: we picked up about 36 hours earlier than normal, so we expected the number to be down. In addition, some of you kindly dropped off scraps after our early-morning composting session, so those contributions will be included in next week’s total.

Even with the slightly lower collection total, things are moving well on the composting side. We did some thorough aeration on Tuesday, and all three of our active bins are doing really well. Their temperatures are currently:

• 128°F

• 132°F

• 100°F

It is actually unusual for us to have three active containers at once, but this happened because activity slowed down over the winter, allowing us to build up a larger supply of scraps. Now that temperatures are warming and the bins are more active, that material should begin to break down very quickly.

We also had a great few days with our finished compost giveaway. We gave away 14 bags of compost, and if anyone is still hoping to get one, please let us know. Our heat-treating process will continue, and we are also hoping to sell some bags in the near future to help recoup project costs.

Since we started this project, we have given away 410 pounds of heat-treated compost and sold 410 pounds of compost, for a total of 820 pounds distributed.

We still have plenty of finished compost ready, but the main bottleneck right now is the heat-treating process. At the moment, we only have a few finished, heat-treated bags left on hand, but after Spring Break we will crack on with the sorting and heat treating.

As always, thank you to everyone who contributes scraps, helps spread the word, and supports the project. Every drop-off helps keep food waste out of the landfill and turns it into something useful for gardens and soil.

What to do with your 10 lb bag of finished compost

A 10 lb bag of finished compost is great for gardens, flower beds, planters, and around shrubs or young trees. You can mix it into the top few inches of soil, spread a thin layer around plants as a nutrient boost, or blend it into potting soil for containers. A little goes a long way — compost helps improve soil structure, support healthy roots, and retain moisture.