City of Nelson staff will soon be able to compost their food waste at work.
Beginning March 17, green bins will be available in the lunchrooms of each city department, including the library and fire hall. Most locations will also have an onsite compost bin to empty the organic material into.
The initiative is spearheaded by the city’s internal eco-action committee, which aims to reduce corporate green house gas emissions. According to chair Fiona Galbraith, each department has selected the composting option that makes the most sense for them.
“The library and public works will have outdoor compost bins installed, while the fire department and city hall will use indoor bokashi composters,” Galbraith explained. “There’s also some staff members who have volunteered to empty the bins at their home compost piles or feed the food scraps to their chickens.”
While the primary purpose of the project is to reduce the amount of waste the city produces through its corporate operations, Galbraith noted that it will also create the opportunity to provide a public example of small-scale composting.
The library, for example, will have a tumbling compost bin right outside its front door, along with some signage to explain the purpose of it. And there’s also talk of having a worm compost on display inside.
“It will be a way of saying, ‘we’re composting and look how easy it is,’ and maybe that public awareness will encourage some people to try it at home,” Galbraith said.