Linda Norris-Waldt, CAE is right! See her post here. There is so much potential for entrepreneurs to create a significant contribution to compost infrastructure. Unlike plastic and recyclable materials it's so much easier for communities and small entrepreneurs to compost since it's a natural organic process. Community and small composters contribute to our compost infrastructure as Victory Gardens contributed to our agriculture infrastructure in World War II. During World War II, over 20 million Victory Gardens sprouted across the United States, transforming backyards, rooftops, and vacant lots into vital sources of fresh produce. Remarkably, these community-driven efforts produced 40% of the nation's vegetables! Americans and our communities are extraordinary resilient, and this historic feat with WW2 Victory Gardens highlights how ordinary American citizens, when mobilized and motivated, can significantly impact national challenges. Today, we face a different but equally pressing issue: managing organic waste and single-use packaging sustainably. Imagine if we applied the Victory Garden model to small/entrepreneurial community composting. By establishing thousands of small composting sites nationwide, we could potentially start with diverting 20 million pounds of compostable material from landfills each year! This shift would cover a significant portion of the total compostable waste in the US, diverting from the haul-and-landfill model, drastically reducing methane emissions and sequestering carbon in our soils. The environmental and economic benefits are substantial. Each ton of waste composted instead of landfilled avoids 0.25 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions, translating to a significant reduction of CO2 annually. Furthermore, enriching our soils with compost not only improves agricultural productivity but also fosters community engagement and creates local jobs. By turning waste into a valuable resource, community composters can revolutionize waste management and drive us toward a more sustainable future. Comment and repost this if you're interested to hear more. US Composting Council Compost Research & Education Foundation (CREF) International Compost Awareness Week - ICAW USA Compost Stewardship Institute Compost Manufacturing Alliance LLC The 5 Gyres Institute Institute for Local Self-Reliance Mother Jones Green America #compost #community #sustainable #wastereduction #noplastic #soilhealth
Deputy Director at US Composting Council, passionate about environment, social justice and ethics
Fertilizer Grant, SWIFR Grant, ROE Grant, CCWG Grants---its alphabet soup, but these federal grant and loan programs, and state grants that result from tipping fee surcharges or other set asides for recycling of organics and composting, have been major game changers in building more compost facilities (infrastructure). But we still have about 500 facilities and numerous #compostdeserts in the mountain states, southeast and south central to go. This funding for an industry built on micro-entrepreneurs, family and small businesses is critical to leveraging the economic development, climate AND soil health benefits of #composting and #compost. LISTEN UP Congressional Committees on Ag, Public Works and related issues---these small investments are bringing BIG BENEFITS to the US, local economies and the planet. @uscompostingcouncil #compostisbipartisan #compostbenefits https://lnkd.in/ek4HtmQY
Rich Cohen This message is a blessing to finally hear. More to come along with more funding.
Think Well. Consume Well. Live Well.
6moYou are so into being the person to do this - you avoid participating in partnerships that would get it done.