Composting
Students start a composting progam at the High School
This is a great win for the school, but also for the town. Great job, students! The Independent has a good article about it.
What an inspiration to all the rest of us!
Why Compost?
Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 30% of what we throw away, and could be composted instead
Transporting the material to the town's incinerator or a dump uses fuel that produces harmful emissions, and costs the town more in fees
Composting cuts methane emissions from landfills and methane is much worse than CO2
Composting creates a rich fertilizer
You can compost at home or use a service - either way, it's a really easy way to help the environment
Ways to Compost
The main ways to compost in Hopkinton
Home Composting - there's passive and active composting.
In passive composting, the main purpose is to reduce emissions. Put your scraps into a container or pile to biodegrade: you might start by collecting them in the kitchen, then take them to a large, outdoor pile/container and let them bideograde.
In active composting, the main purpose is to create a rich soil additive, and emissions are reduced too. Check out "Get Started in 5 Easy Steps".
See what you can compost at home in the list below.
Composting Service - such as Black Earth Compost
Allows troublesome items that home composting can't handle like bones and pasta and grease - here's a complete list of compostable items
Can be used by anyone without a suitable home composting location like at apartments or condos with HOAs that prevent it
The more Hopkinton residences sign up with the Black Earth Compost service, the cheaper rate will be
Community Composter - Find a Composter - as of now, this isn't available in Hopkinton
Indoors with Vermicomposting - it's faster than an outdoor pile, and produces compost faster, though it's a bit complicatded and can turn some people off. Here are some resources if you want to try it:
Urban Work Company article on composting compared to vermicomposting
A How To Guide from Oregon State University
One type of home compost tumbler - no assembly required - 2 bins, plus a compost "tea" collector underneath
One way to have compost piles in the backyard - you can instead use covered wire containers or holes in the ground
Collection bin that gets picked up weekly by Black Earth
What finished compost looks like
What to Compost at Home
Resources
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Cornell University's Waste Management Institute has a detailed guide to composting, plus a lot more resources on their website.