Where food ends & begins again

There are lots of good reasons to compost. Save money, save resources, improve your soil and reduce your impact on the environment. Regardless of your reasons, composting is a win/win for you and the environment.

What better time to learn how to compost than now. On Jan. 1 California Senate Bill 1383 mandates that Californians toss unused food, coffee grounds, egg shells, banana peels and other leftovers into “green” waste bins along with garden trimmings and leaves. This landmark reform aims to transform our throwaway culture.

Sign up for In-person or Virtual Workshops
Learn the basics of composting at an in-person or virtual composting workshop. Classes are sponsored by the County of Santa Cruz Public Works. Reservations are required, sign up at goo.gl/Fw6BaK.

Sunday, May 15. Virtual, 1-3pm
Saturday, June 11. In-person at the Live Oak Grange, 10-noon

Why we ❤ compost

Keeps your veggie scraps out of the landfill
Feeds your soil with nutrients and microorganisms that improve plant growth.
Compost retains soil moisture so you water less.
Compost is a mild, slow release, natural fertilizer that won’t burn plants like chemical fertilizers that contaminate our rivers, lakes and bay.

More to find

Organics to Energy
Food scraps and certified compostable food ware are picked up by local haulers, inspected for contamination at MRWMD, mixed with mulch and loaded into an anaerobic digestion unit. Inside, biogas (methane) is released and used as fuel to produce electricity. Find participating merchants here.

Grey Bears
Grey Bears recycles leftover food scraps from their lunch and Brown Bag Programs. They churn out 25 tons of compost each year. You can pick up a 20+ pound bag for just $10 at the Thrift Store.

They also have worm composting demonstrations every Friday from 10am-12pm. For just $10 they will provide you with enough worms to set up your own home worm composting. Worm castings provide beneficial microorganisms as well as plant growth hormones, humus and nutrients to your garden soil.

Vicality

Eco-guide to living lighter

Composting Workshops

Composting Workshops

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