Kaua‘i residents concerned about protecting the environment and saving landfill space have made the county’s Home Composting program a success again this year. Since 2001, the Recycling Office has distributed 1,500 free Earth Machine composting bins, Solid Waste Program Development
Kaua‘i residents concerned about protecting the environment and saving landfill space have made the county’s Home Composting program a success again this year.
Since 2001, the Recycling Office has distributed 1,500 free Earth Machine composting bins, Solid Waste Program Development Coordinator Allison Fraley said yesterday.
“It’s been the most positive of all our waste diversion programs,” she said.
Although currently out of bins for the public, the Recycling Office plans to request funding to purchase more for next year, Fraley said.
In the meantime, she said the office will assess the success of the program through user surveys in order to make its case to continue the initiative.
The 2006 survey results show the efficiency of the county’s Home Composting program.
On average, each composter annually diverted from the landfill 1,500 pounds of recyclable food and yard waste.
Over the course of 10 years, each composter would divert 7.79 tons of material.
At $45 per composting bin, the cost for the program is $5.78 per ton, the survey says.
Residents who want to take advantage of the Home Composting program must watch a 20-minute training video and agree to participate in the annual survey.
County Recycling Specialist Diane Rosenkranz said composting, in tandem with other recycling efforts, has almost eliminated the garbage she produces at home.
A recent waste characterization study shows that over 30 percent of the household waste on Kaua‘i is compostable organic waste, according to information at www.kauai.gov/recycling.
This natural form of recycling involves feeding a compost pile a steady diet of carbon- and nitrogen-based materials. The ideal recipe on Kaua‘i is three parts carbon to one part nitrogen, according to Fraley.
After building this “heap,” air and moisture are added to the pile as it rots.
The result is a dark organic soil, which should smell earthy and feel crumbly in texture. The Earth Machine bins have a hatch door at the bottom for easy removal.
The ready compost can be spread on gardens, lawns and trees or mixed with regular soil to create healthier flower beds.
Compost is a nutrient-rich food that improves soil structure and helps maintain moisture levels, according to information at www.recyclenow.com/compost.
Part of the success of the county’s Home Composting program has been due to the Earth Machine bins, Fraley said.
“They’re easy to assemble, made from recycled plastic and rodent-and pest-proof,” she said. “It’s really hard for critters to get in there. They also are easy to break down for transport.”
For more information, visit www.mastercomposter.com or call the County Recycling Office at 241-6891.
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com.
