Composting: for a healthier future

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Composting: for a healthier future By: Ashton Howe

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Traditional garbage disposal is harming our planet

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we've seen the pictures we've heard the politics we understand the importance

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of creating a sustainable future.

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As members of a community the community of planet Earth we have a responsibility the community of Boulder

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to protect what we love...

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implementing a composting system at Shady Creek can help us accomplish this.

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Composting is easy Disposing of items in the compost is as quick as disposing of trash or recycling

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Composting is hassle free With Eco-Cycle compost pickup for housing complexes, we can toss it and forget it – with the peace of mind that our refuse will be responsibly handled

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Composting is affordable Composting costs an average of $65 per ton, significantly less than recycling at $95 per ton and $145 per ton for regular trash disposal A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Recycling and Composting Versus Traditional Landfilling http://footprint.mit.edu/waste/food/original/costbenefit.html Comparison of waste disposal costs

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Mark Lynn, President of the Shady Creek HOA, estimates that our complex produces three tons of compostable waste per month

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At a rate of $65 per ton this works out to $1.95 per condominium per month to implement a composting system at Shady Creek ($65 x 3 tons) ÷ 100 condos = $1.95 per condo per month

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This is less than the cost of one cup of coffee per month per condominium

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So... how do we get started?

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Eco-Cycle's Zero Waste Services

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Eco-Cycle will: Collect our compostables weekly Eco-Cycle will: Educate Shady Creek residents on reducing waste Keep 90% of our waste out of landfills http://www.ecocycle.org/zws/

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90% of our waste kept out of landfills Eco-Cycle promises that as much of our waste as possible will be composted, and the rest will be recycled http://www.ecocycle.org/zws/

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even hard-to-dispose-of items, like computers and electronics

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We can also start a smaller, separate composting bin

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and use the contents as fertilizer for our garden

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Sustainability is our future

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http://www.compostheaven.com/compost-garbage.html By composting our food and paper waste alone – without recycling –we would reduce our landfill waste by over 45% Average percentage of American household waste per category

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Every step we take toward this sustainable future creates a healthier world for our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, et cetera...

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As the Native American proverb states:

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“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors we borrow it from our children”

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So let's act today for a greener tomorrow

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Vote YES at November's HOA meeting to open up a composting initiative for discussion among Shady Creek residents

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because environmental responsibility is accomplished one step at a time. Music: Day 6 from “The Rescue,” Explosions in the Sky