This blog post is all about composting! We will begin with a general overview before delving into some helpful tips for composting in Chapel Hill. After reading, you should be able to: identify compostable items, understand the composting process, recognize the need for composting, and feel prepared to start your composting journey.
What is composting?
Composting is the process whereby organic matter, such as leaves and food scraps, is broken down and transformed into a nutrient-dense fertilizer. Composting speeds up the natural decomposition process by creating an environment well-suited for decomposers. The end product is called compost!
Compostable Items
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Fruit and Vegetable Scraps Meat Bones - Fish Products - Pasta Bread Cereal - Cooked Foods Dairy products - Egg Shells Coffee Grounds - Coffee Filters Tea Bags - Paper Towels Soiled Paper Food Packaging Pizza Boxes - Muffin Wrappers Flour and Sugar Bags - Pet Food 100% Cotton Cheesecloth
Items labeled BPI Certified Compostable
Items labeled ASTM D6400 or ASTM D6868
Why Compost?
Composting offers numerous environmental and agricultural benefits. For starters, composting redirects organic waste away from landfills. When organic waste is stored in landfills, it generates a greenhouse gas called methane. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, methane is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its heat trapping capacity. Thus, composting programs are an important part of the Town’s climate change mitigation strategy. Regarding agricultural benefits, organic compost enriches soil, which leads to healthier, more resilient plants. Ultimately, this means a reduction in the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
A 2017 Orange County waste composition study found that compostable items made up 46.5% of annual aggregate municipal solid waste. Food waste was the largest subcategory among compostable items, accounting for 25.3% of total municipal solid waste that year. What does this mean for Chapel Hill and its residents? These metrics indicate that composting has much potential for helping us reach our zero waste goals. Anyone can compost, and it is imperative that we do.
Composting in the Community
Many Chapel Hill residents have already integrated composting into their regular routine for waste management. Some have created backyard composting bins. Others have taken advantage of commercial composting services available in Chapel Hill like CompostNow. Through CompostNow, residents collect compostable items in personal compost bins that are emptied regularly by CompostNow. CompostNow users receive the added benefit of having compost delivered to their homes for use in gardening, yard work, etc.
Residents can also drop off compostable items at local collection sites. The County hosts sites at the Walnut Grove Church Road Waste and Recycling Center (3605 Walnut Grove Church Rd, Hillsborough, NC 27278) and the Eubanks Road Waste and Recycling Center (1514 Eubanks Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27516) during normal operating hours. The Carrboro Farmers Market also accepts compostable items on Saturdays from 7 a.m. until noon.
Composting at the University
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UNC recently expanded its composting program so that all residence halls (with the exception of Granville Towers) have access to compost carts. Compost carts are clearly labeled and located outside adjacent to the recycling bins.
Students living on campus can check out small personal compost bins to keep in their dorms for added convenience. To get a personal bin, students should contact UNC’s Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling. The community compost carts are emptied twice weekly and are sent to Brooks Contractor. For more information about UNC’s on-campus composting program, click here.
There are also options available for off-campus students wishing to compost. For students with yard space, creating a backyard compost pile can be a fun and rewarding experience. However, for those seeking a more hands-off approach, UNC’s CompostMates is a great option. Through the program, off-campus students can receive free food scrap collection services. For more details, read this helpful article.
Composting Panel Discussion
Click here to view a panel discussion between local residents, government officials, and businesses who are involved in Chapel Hill composting.
References
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2020, October 22). Importance of Methane. https://www.epa.gov/gmi/importance-methane
Kessler Consulting, Inc. (2017). Orange County Waste Composition Study. http://www.co.orange.nc.us/DocumentCenter/View/2826/2017-Orange-County-Waste-Characterization-Study-Final-Report-PDF