Worm bin composting – good way to reduce the carbon footprint….

Clara (left), Jenny & Madi have a project that is making a difference....

Each year, the students at FHHS have Community Projects, and it’s always great to see what they’re up to – each one makes our community just a little better.

Madi McPadden, Clara Brand and Jenny Dunn have been working on an interesting way to help reduce our impact on the earth – here’s more, in a report written by the girls:

Our main goal is to promote environmental awareness through composting and waste reduction. Our project focused on worm bin composting as a means of reducing our community’s carbon footprint.

Worm bin composting, also known as “vermiposting” is the process of having red worms and other decomposer organisms process our organic waste and turn it into an excellent natural fertilizer. The end-product is a nutrient rich soil known as worm castings.

Starting a worm bin is easy! It only takes about twenty minutes a week to manage and the benefits are substantial. As a “vermiposter” an individual can help divert organic waste away from landfills and recycle them back into the earth. Worm castings can also be used as a replacement for other chemical fertilizers that lack natural organic nutrients that are capable of regenerating damaged soil and helping retain soil moisture. They can also be sold for profit, usually about $3.50 per pound.

A worm bin cycles through the compost in about a month. Worm bin composting is based on the three “R” principles: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. By vermiposting, one REDUCES their waste output, RECYCLES organic matter, and REUSES the otherwise thrown away food waste as a natural fertilizer for plants and crops.

Our island is the perfect environment to foster support for such an environmentally important issue. Local islanders and businesses can reduce their monthly organic waste output, in addition to reaping the monetary benefits that come along with having a smaller amount of overall waste. The three of us have made informational brochures, instructional handouts and other useful tools to introduce local islanders to a good way to get involved in helping the environment.

We would love to meet with any local islanders or businesses that are interested in starting their own worm bin! Our community project is all about awareness and getting people involved, so we would highly appreciate any feedback or support. Please get in contact with us at the following email: [email protected] or at (360) 298.0456

Worm facts:

• Red worms can eat over half their body weight in organic matter every day.

• About 26% of the United States’ annual waste output is food residuals and organic waste.

• In 2008, 249.6 million tons of municipal soild waste was generated in the United States.

• Each year, Americans discard more than 96 billion pounds of good food. If 5% was recovered, it could provide the equivalent of a day’s food for four million hungry people.

• If every family in the United States composted, about 54.6 billion pounds of organic waste could be diverted from landfills every year.

Where it all begins...

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