How can a community reeling from multiple economic shocks use composting as a tool to build a more resilient food system? ILSR’s Linda Bilsens Brolis talks to Renee V. Wallace of Detroit about composting as a tool for building equity and solving big challenges.
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A newly released guide from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) aims to support composters at community gardens, schools, urban farms, and other community venues in successfully managing their composting process to prevent attracting rodents.… Read More
Contrary to popular belief, composting in cities does not cause rodent problems. This guide shows how composting food scraps, instead of dumping them in the trash, has the power to mitigate rodent pressures in urban neighborhoods.… Read More
Across the U.S., the effects of 2022’s record high heat temperatures are widespread as climate change continues to exacerbate rising temperatures, intensifying heat-induced dangers to the public health and wellbeing of urban communities, Baltimore included. While the corporate sector is responsible for the majority of emissions causing rapid climate change, there are some green infrastructure and waste-reduction practices to enlist at the local level that can help curb the impacts of the warming climate.… Read More
A per-ton surcharge on waste disposed is a funding mechanism with a proven track record of raising funds to reduce and recycle waste. This model bill serves to address the need for state investment into waste reduction and diversion programs and infrastructure by establishing major grant funding based on a nominal surcharge on waste disposal. This document is intended for use as a template for a bill that any state can adapt and introduce.… Read More
ILSR Composting for Community director Brenda Platt explains to Popular Science how we can make composting more ubiquitous in the United States.… Read More
Part 3 of our Government Support for Community Composting webinar series featured select jurisdictions that are providing a wide range of support for community-scale composting activities, from building concrete pads under 3-bin systems and granting right of entries to urban parks, to awarding RFPs for new compost sites.… Read More
ILSR has been assisting grass roots organizations in Baltimore to fend off new incinerators and shut down an existing aging and polluting garbage incinerator in Downtown Baltimore, planning for and implementing Zero Waste practices. These practices would also help the city and communities address other pressing problems in the city; including the need for more good jobs, reduced recidivism, elimination of the ‘digital divide’, and creation of new small businesses, community based food production and environmental education.
The following article makes suggestions for transforming the current recycling system, and an update on community based activity in the context of rapidly changing markets, technology and entrepreneurial opportunities.… Read More
In Part 2 of our Government Support for Community Composting webinar series, you will hear directly from food scrap collectors. Join this webinar to hear directly from food scrap collectors and composters who have secured some type of private-public partnership. If you represent local government, attend this event to learn how to directly support local food scrap recovery businesses.… Read More
