Alameda home composting a hit: the average composting family diverts between 600 and 750 pounds of garden trimmings and kitchen scraps annually
In the past two years, more than 15,000 residents in the San Francisco Bay Area community of Alameda County have found a way to save money on garbage bills, cut down on water use and get a free soil conditioner, all while helping their local government meet state mandated waste reduction goals.
They have done this by taking advantage of a subsidized home compost bin distribution program spearheaded by the Alameda County Waste Management Authority (ACWMA) and the Alameda County Recycling Board.
The ACWMA is a joint-powers agency comprised of 17 public agencies, primarily cities, in Alameda County. In partnership with the Recycling Board, a panel of elected officials and experts in the field of recycling and waste reduction, the Authority has developed and promoted the bin distribution program.
“Home composting is a simple, cost-effective way to keep organics out of the landfill,” says Program Coordinator Teresa Eade. “Residents learn that what was once their garbage is now a resource.”
In California, where state aw requires a 50-percent reduction in the amount of waste going to landfill by the end of this decade, local governments are held directly accountable for meeting the target.
Through implementation of in-house programs, support for local jurisdictional efforts, funding for non-profit organizations and direct assistance to recycling businesses, ACWMA has overseen a 23-percent reduction in county waste disposal in just four years — from 2.1 million tons in 1990 to 1.6 million in 1993.
Composting is a key element in Alameda’s waste-reduction program, and encouraging residents to compost at home has proven to be an effective strategy in meeting countywide goals. ACWMA buys composting bins at the wholesale rate of $49; county residents may purchase one bin per household for $33. Total program cost, including administration, promotion, delivery and educational support, amounts to $67.
Surveys show the average composting family diverts between 600 and 750 pounds of garden trimmings and kitchen scraps annually, which means that, over the 10-year life of the bin, each household will divert at least 3 tons from landfill disposal. Assuming a 5 percent annual attrition rate, the cost per ton is somewhere between $15 and $30 — significantly less than landfilling, recycling or even centralized composting.
ACWMA offers free composting classes and work, shops at four Compost Demonstration Gardens located throughout the county. The Home Composting Program conducts an annual Master Composter class, maintains a compost information telephone service called the “Rotline,” offers a school-based composting curriculum and produces a number of informational brochures on composting.
More than 7,000 county residents have attended home composting workshops, and 100,000 others have received compost information at public meetings, libraries, county fairs and other community events. Distribution of home composting bins is the most recent phase of the long-term compost education strategy. This article was written by Doron Amiran, former promotion and outreach specialist for the Alameda County Waste Management Authority.
