YCOMP

Our goal is to promote and encourage composting and composting education on local and state levels by offering low-cost (potentially subsidized) compost bins for consumers (for individuals or towns) through both the FAC61 MA state contract and by working directly with manufacturers. Moreover, we would like to organize educational programs and promote state-composting resources. We would like to expand Massachusetts Departments of Environmental Protection's and the Green Team's efforts on an inter-town basis, individual school basis, encourage small businesses to use home-composting bins, and work with colleges, universities, and other organizations and institutions. We are primarily promoting "on-site" or “home-composting” to those unfamiliar with it in the first place, by providing them educational opportunities and allowing the purchase of these bins on an individual basis through FAC61. We would also like to encourage schools to start pilot composting programs by experimenting with home-composting bins, and if enough enthusiasm is garnered at a school, they could explore their own options for on-site, large composting containers or coordinating compost pick-up to an off-site location. The implementation of compost bins in all public schools in Sharon is underway and we hope to have formalized compost programs in place for fall 2011-2012 school year. We would just like to provide resources for individual residents who are not informed about composting by their town. In terms of a curbside collection process, we ultimately want to use funds from grants or charge people a fee to participate in a pilot program which would be designed to look similar to that of Canada, where organic material is collected for composting at a commercial composting facility. However, as mentioned before, the majority of composting done at public buildings will be on-site, unlike the pilot programs. These pilot programs will take into account the need to locate a registered commercial composting facility and setting up a collection program. The initial fee will be used to cover the collection fee cost and tipping fee. Moreover, in terms of the management differences between on-site and off-site composting, our educational programs will be used to address questions or concerns people may have as well as ensure that the compost is being managed. As far as schools are concerned, we would like to create an educational network and work with schools’ Green Teams (or work to establish Green team representatives at each school) to ensure proper management of composting.