Community Compost Initiative

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The CCA is excited to announce a new FREE Community Compost Initiative in Canton. The site is at the I Wonder Garden at Hudson and Baylis Streets inside the fence in the NE corner of the parking lot.

Neighbors are invited to drop off food scraps and compostables including fruits & vegetables, coffee grounds, bread, and compostable packaging, but not plastic, glass, oil, or metals. There are signs to specify what can and can’t be composted at the site. The bins are emptied once a week by a private company, Veteran Compost.

This site is an extension of the PPNA Community Compost Initiative started by Allison Blood of the Patterson Park Neighborhood Association. The service is funded by local company Pompeian, Inc. via a grant from Healthy Harbor. 

The launch event, held on March 19, was a big success. CCA representatives Amanda Bourgeois, Julie Kichline and Denisa Aversa were joined by Leanna Wetmore of Healthy Harbor, Allison Blood of the PPNA, and Cherisse Otis from the I Wonder Garden. Lots of neighbors joined us to learn about the program and take home a free Kitchen Caddy. Our friend Amanda Colianni was on hand to man a seed swap table as well. (That was a popular add on for sure!)

HERE ARE FIVE BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING:

  1. Adds nutrients to the soil. Compost is humus—nutrient-rich soil. When compost is placed on top of existing soil, it adds nutrients, such as carbon and nitrogen. These nutrients are used by plants for growth and photosynthesis. Adding compost also helps retain water for plant use.

  2. Introduces valuable organisms to the soil. Microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, decompose organic material. The presence of microorganisms is vital because they aerate the soil (which speeds up the composting process), convert nitrogen to a usable form, and repel some plant diseases.

  3. Recycles kitchen and yard waste. Composting keeps as much as 30% of waste from going to the trash can. This reduces the amount of trash in your home. By diverting some waste, there won’t be a need to buy as many trash bags or to take out the trash as often.

  4. Reduces landfill waste. Many people think that organic material will just decompose in a landfill. This is true, but the process is a lot slower. When organic material does decompose, the nutrients produced are being wasted.

  5. Good for the environment! Composting is free and a lot healthier for the environment. By composting, you are not relying on factory-made fertilizers and chemicals.

To learn more visit https://www.pattersonparkneighbors.org/composting. For questions/comments email Sustainability@PattersonParkNeighbors.org.