Photo courtesy Fat Worm Compost.
Our household has been composting for almost two years now, and I can attest that when we separate our organic food scraps, our kitchen waste decreases significantly.
This year we fertilized our small vegetable garden with our first batch of homemade compost (and nothing else) and were astounded by the increased harvest in our tomato and eggplant plants.
Other than a few flies now and then, we’ve had no odor or vermin issues. Fortunately, we have a small yard where we located our composter, far from the house, but not all Capitol Hill residents have the space for a composting barrel, or perhaps even the need for the finished product.
Enter Fat Worm Composting.
Since April 2010, Fat Worm Composting has been offering residential curb-side pick-up of compostable materials, so D.C. residents can reduce their waste stream. Recently, the company began collecting vegetable scraps from local restaurants that want to green their operations, including a few right here on the Hill. Local restaurant participants include the Argonaut, Sweetgreen and Cava Mezze Grill.
How does it work?
Fat Worm provides participants with a 5-gallon plastic containers, each with a sealable lid (important for keeping odors in and critters out). The household is responsible for providing a paper or other compostable liner in each bucket. On a weekly basis, the containers are collected and emptied (just like city trash and recycling) and wiped clean. If a hose is available near the containers the Fat Worm staff will also rinse them out for you. Households that have participated in the program for at least six months are eligible for the composted soil material in the spring. The current cost for residential participation starts at $30/per month for one container pick-up/per week, and the price increases based on the number of containers and pick-ups selected.
Restaurant participants use larger plastic containers, but the process is largely the same as residential service. Fat Worm also offers special event collections, using the larger containers for meetings, barbecues, and festivals too.
The compostable materials go to the Waste Management organic transfer station in Maryland, and then it’s transported to a facility in Delaware, where the waste breaks down into soil and is sold back to farmers and gardeners. The entire process is detailed on the company’s website. And, the company is locally-owned.
Fat Worm estimates that it diverts five tons of waste from landfills each week. While food and yard scraps would decompose in a landfill over time, often they are encapsulated in a plastic trash bag that does not break down, containing the material which does not enrich soil. Food scraps also mix with other materials in the landfill which may include toxins making it unusable as a soil additive.
So until D.C. catches up to cities in the California Bay Area, which offer municipal compost pick-up right next to trash service, consider taking it on as a personal challenge or commitment to planet earth. You will help reduce your waste stream and carbon footprint by purchasing a composter for your yard or contacting Fat Worm.