ZERO Organic Waste

Community composting is a model of composting that sources organic materials locally, engages the community in the composting process, and uses the compost produced in local soils. Instead of throwing organics into the garbage here is a better way.

Goal and Vision

Goal

Reduce the environmental impacts of Whidbey's current organics disposal by composting it locally to provide quality compost for growing food and increasing food security.

Vision

Residents and businesses have an easy and affordable means of contributing their organic waste, whether backyard, curbside, or a short haul to a local facility.
The collected organic materials are composted locally, by individuals, neighbors, organizations, business, or cities, using ecological processes that produce good quality compost.
The quality compost is readily available locally at a competitive price for gardeners and farmers.
Local governments provide additional resources, possibly from the savings of hauling less organic waste to the landfill.
The community comes together in this local cycling of nutrients.

Background Material

Growing Community Compost

presentation

Reviewing Opportunities for Organic Composting in Island County

whitepaper

WEAN Action Hour Podcasts

Motivation

Ecological

Island County trucks an estimated 76 tons of organic material per day (in the garbage stream) to a landfill 400 miles away, where it decomposes releasing the potent GHG methane. Instead of hauling organics far away (burning diesel) they can be composted locally and the resulting compost used locally to grow food.

Financial

Island County residents collectively expend near $11M to trash valuable organic resources and pollute the environment. Given 40-50% of all IC trash is organic – vast system savings are achievable with a greater reliance on lower cost community-based distributive composting systems.

Legislative

“The state establishes a goal for the landfill disposal of organic materials at a level representing a 75 percent reduction by 2030 in the statewide disposal of organic material waste, relative to 2015 levels.” HB 1799 / 2022

Food Security

The missing link in Whidbey Island food system security is the absence of a supply of local quality compost. Compost locally for sustainability and resilience.1799 / 2022

Status

From the energy of WCA's Island Conversation on Food Waste, an open working group has formed with:

WCA
Whidbey Compost Collective
WSU Extension of Island County
South Whidbey Tilth
Interested individuals

Exploring ways to promote, fund, and scale existing composting operations:

Home Kitchen Composting Education Outreach (WSU, Tilth)
Community level Kitchen Scrap Composting and Worm Bins (Whidbey Compost Collective)
Green Waste and Biosolids Composting (Langley Wastewater Treatment Plant)
Other?

Working on a market assessment of organics waste and compost needs on Whidbey.