On Monday, May 22nd, 2017, the Frederick Compost Workgroup hosted the Frederick Compost Summit at Fox Haven Educational Farm. ILSR’s Composting for Community project co-sponsored the summit along with Frederick Zero Waste Alliance, Fox Haven Farm, and others. ILSR staff made opening remarks, presented composting options for the county (including our new hierarchy to reduce food … Read More
Twelve and a half years ago, Frederick County proposed to build a 1,500 ton-per-day garbage incinerator to manage its waste. The County was forced to kill the proposal 2.5 years ago when organized citizens pointed out the financial risks. The City of Frederick, with 70,000 of the County’s 250,000 population, its own collection crews, landfill and … Read More
On Thursday, May 4th, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed two bills to advance composting in Maryland. One will bolster recovery of food waste and other organic materials by expanding infrastructure in the state. The other will reduce contamination at compost sites by preventing the false labeling of plastics as compostable or biodegradable. In signing the bills, which were among dozens of environmental bills passed by the Maryland legislature in 2017, Governor Hogan thanked the state’s elected officials for the real bipartisan effort in passing laws to “protect our soil, our air, and our water… and grow the investment in jobs in our state.”
HB171/SB99, the “Yard Waste and Food Residuals Diversion and Infrastructure Act,” requires the Maryland Department of the Environment to study and report on existing compost manufacturing infrastructure in Maryland, as well as laws in other states that divert food scraps and organics, and to then recommend how to improve infrastructure and funding opportunities to expand composting in the Maryland. The bill requires the Department to consult with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, along with a number of ILSR’s allies including the MD-DC Compost Council, the American Biogas Council, the Maryland Horse Council, the Chesapeake Foodshed Network, the Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, and the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Council.… Read More
In Building Local Power this week, we’re delving into the potential community-based composting holds to empower historically marginalized communities in cities across the United States. … Read More
The DPR Compost Cooperative at the Howard University Community Garden in NW Washington, DC (Shaw/Howard area), which just celebrated its two-year anniversary, showcases what a collaboration between a local government department, non-profit organizations, small businesses, institutions of higher education, and members of the community can accomplish for composting efforts.… Read More
The first Earth Day in 1970 sparked not only the beginning of the environmental movement, but also the birth of the modern recycling movement. Today, recycling of paper, bottles, and cans is the norm, but food waste recovery remains paltry. Less than 5% of food thrown away is recovered. According to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), almost half of typical garbage could be converted into compost (Source: ILSR’s Infographic).… Read More
“The Nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937 With almost 30% of U.S. cropland eroding above soil tolerance levels – meaning the long-term ability of the soil to sustain plant … Read More
Composting protects the soil and climate while creating jobs. Learn how in our series of posters, available in a variety of formats for easy sharing and distribution. Each poster is available for your use (with attribution to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance) so you can educate your community about the benefits of composting. All posters are available … Read More
The City of Baltimore is dedicated to developing sustainable local food systems by encouraging urban farming. Compost is an important ingredient for filtering and immobilizing pollutants from our soils. ILSR’s Composting for Community Initiative is proud to help support the City’s food growing goals by partnering with ECO City Farms, Civic Works’ Real Food Farms, and Urban Farm Plans by bringing the Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders Master Composter training course to the Baltimore community! … Read More
