Why Composting?
Everyone's Problems
Composting is an easy and effective way to reduce the amount of waste in landfills and the resulting environmental burden. US landfills are overflowing with waste, despite half of it being compostable. 80 billion pounds of food waste are generated each year, making it the No. 1 component in US landfills. Organic waste such as food in landfills releases methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.
A Down To Earth Solution
Composting can cut down our waste stream and reduce landfilling and methane emissions. It also gives the organic waste a new life by reusing its nutrients in planting with many other benefits such as improving soil fertility, water retention, and crop quality. Composting also creates green jobs, alleviating some of the current economic stress. However, many of us are not aware of the urgency of and opportunities for composting. According to an EPA report, only 6% of food waste is composted.
Small Changes Make Big Impacts
Reflect a moment on how we handled banana peels, table scraps, spoiled leftovers, molded berries… and other compostables? Throwing these valuable waste away without thought, allowing them piled up in landfills and being ignorant of the environmental detriments? Or consider making a change with composting?
Be the Change!
If you haven’t done so, TODAY is the day to get started with composting, by just having a compost bin handy and including one extra step in your kitchen routine. Read on to learn more about what and where to compost, tracking your impact with a cool app, and being part of growing a greener community. And, be proud, knowing you are making a difference!
Zero Food Waste Challenge
Best Gift
The best gift to our families, our communities, and the Earth is the complete elimination of food waste. More than 30% of US food supply, valued at $160 billions a year, is never eaten and mostly ended up in landfills, while one in five households experienced food insecurity. It's not only sad and expensive, tossing food also wastes the energy, water, and other resources used to produce, transport, and sell these products, causing significant environmental consequences further when these methane-generating materials are landfilled. Let's make a difference - with the Zero Food Waste initiative.
Plan Meals
With some mindful planning, shopping, cooking and handling, we can save money and food. We invite our community members to share your Zero Food Waste recipes and tips, using this FORM.
Donate Safe, Untouched Food
If you have more food than you can consume, please consider donating safe, untouched food to help people in need.
Give All Scraps Back to the Earth through Composting
For any food that cannot be eaten or donated, please compost instead of sending them to landfills.
GoCompost Challenge
GoCompost Challenge
App - Action - Advocate
Everyone can participate in composting, as a solution to today’s waste and global warming crisis. Residents of Orange County, NC are invited to join the GoCompost Challenge. To make it easy and fun to get started with this sustainability effort, a team of local student volunteers created a mobile app named GoCompost. This app is free to use and enables features to access composting programs and support in Orange County, NC.
GoCompost "App - Action - Advocate" Challenge
To divert organic waste from landfills & give it back to the Earth through composting.
How to Enter the Challenge
With the goal to increase composting rate and foster a green community, we welcome anyone who joins the GoCompost Challenge to share a post with our community, using this ENTRY FORM. Five entries will be selected by lottery, with each to receive a $25 gift card/certificate to any local vendor at Carrboro Farmers Market.
For questions, please email: GoCompost@we-sense.org.
“Composting plays a major role in diverting valuable waste from the landfill and returning the nutrients back to the soil. The GoCompost app will help bring residents together over a shared interest in creating sustainable communities.”
Kyra LevauRecycling Education & Outreach CoordinatorOrange County Solid Waste Management
SPECIAL THANKS
Kyra Levau, Recycling Education & Outreach Coordinator, Orange County SWM
Dan Schnitzer, Sustainability Director, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
Amy Fulford, Brooks Contractor
Cathy Cole, Kirkwood, Chapel Hill
Angela Li, student & gardener
& all community supporters!
GoCompost App Developmemt Team:
Garrison Reid, advisor
Ben Li, Junior, North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics
Bo Chi, Sophomore, East Chapel Hill High School
Yichen Sun, Sophomore, Chapel Hill High School
Yikuan Sun, Smith Middle School